TWO orphaned otter cubs found in a post office and restaurant will be released together after becoming the best of friends.
The adventurous pair were rescued by the Scottish SPCA when they wandered into the unusual spots in Fort William and the village of Caol in February. It is likely their mothers had been killed or frightened off.
Roy and Linnhe, who are now four months old, are continuing to thrive at the charity’s Wildlife Rescue Centre at Middlebank, near Dunfermline.
Roy and Linnhe will be released together
Centre manager Colin Seddon said, “We introduced Roy and Linnhe to one another around two weeks after they arrived in our care. Both cubs are making a fantastic recovery and have become inseparable.
“Otter cubs depend on interaction with their own kind in order to develop behaviourally and they become fitter through play.
“Roy and Linnhe have formed a very close bond and even curl up in a ball to keep each other warm when they’re sleeping.
“They are an extremely playful and rather cheeky duo, as illustrated by the damage they often cause to their pen overnight!
“Roy and Linnhe will live together until they’re around a year old and ready to be released back into the wild. There’s every chance they’ll stay together and they may even mate when they are around two to three years old.”
These are the first otter cubs who will remain in Scottish SPCA care for the full duration of their rehabilitation thanks to the opening of their new National Wildlife Rescue Centre in Clackmannanshire, which will be ready soon.
Colin added, “Despite looking cute and cuddly, Roy and Linnhe are very wild and we have taken a hands off approach to allow them to develop their natural and healthy fear of humans.
“When they are moved to our new centre we’ll have the ability to monitor them remotely via CCTV to keep up with all their antics.”
Anyone who discovers an injured or distressed animal should call the Scottish SPCA Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999.
