Saturday, March 21, 2009

New home for lost otter cub Dylan

An otter which latched on to two teenagers who were sledging then followed them home is being cared for at a Skye animal sanctuary.
The cub was spotted in snow under a bush at Windygates, Fife, in February.
He has been nicknamed Dylan because one of the youngsters was playing a harmonica - an instrument synonymous with singer Bob Dylan.
The cub was initially cared for at the SSPCA Wildlife Rescue Centre at Middlebank, then transferred to Skye.
He is now being cared for at the International Otter Survival Fund's (IOSF), where he is one of 12 being looked after until they are old enough to be released into the wild.
IOSF's Grace Yoxon said Dylan's story was one of the more unusual the charity had encountered.
She said: "From what I heard, he was in the snow under a bush and the teenagers heard him crying.
"The teenagers did the sensible thing by leaving him where he was and seeking help rather than pick the otter up straight away.
"But it followed them home. One of the two had a harmonica, but I can't say whether it was attracted to its sound."
Given the involvement of the instrument, the IOSF decided to name the otter after Dylan - whose songs include Shelter From The Storm and Baby Let Me Follow You Down.
Mrs Yoxon said snow storms this winter may account for the large number of young otters at the hospital.
She said: "We have 12 right now when we usually see 10 or 12 in a year.
"Otters can have young at any time of the year, but there are peaks at winter and around May. The winter births have the harder time."
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1 comment:

Tattoo Jim said...

Otters are so cute!!! Love to watch them!