A BABY otter – just six weeks old – is being nursed back to health after she was separated from her mother by storms that battered the west coast of Scotland.
Corrie, who is just 43cm from head to toe, was found by chance mewing in the garden of an Arran resident.
The starving and cold infant is now thriving on a diet of salmon soup after being transferred to the an animal rescue centre in Ayrshire.
The otter was found on Monday in the Arran community of Corrie on the north-east of the island.
The south west of Scotland was lashed by 70mph winds and massive seas at the weekend.
An unnamed Corrie resident heard the cub’s desperate cries and rescued her, after which she was transferred by ferry to the Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue in Beith, Ayrshire.
Gay Christie, who owns the centre, and her team will look after the youngster until she is around 14-months-old and is re-released back into the wild.
Mrs Christie, whose centre looks after abandoned and orphaned animals, believes the baby otter would have died if she was left any longer.
“She was probably separated after her hole was flooded and she lost her mum. Without her, Corrie would have been in a great deal of danger if she hadn’t been found.
“She really is tiny.”
Dining on a diet of raw salmon soup, Corrie has now settled well into the centre despite only arriving a day ago.
“She’s settled really well and is loving her food. She came with a teddy bear which doubles as a hot water so she loves cuddling up to that for comfort as well.
“She still loves humans at this point but we’re hoping another otter will come to the centre soon she can have someone else to play with.”
Gay added that they’re hopeful she will be able to return to her home island of Arran when she’s older in around a year’s time.
