Rescue cub is 'otterly' adorable
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AN abandoned otter cub is settling into a temporary new home after she was rescued in Aultbea.
Beatha is receiving plenty of tender loving care at the International Otter Survival Fund (IOSF) on Skye after she was found crying near the Wester Ross village.
She is one of two new arrivals at the rescue centre after an older male cub named Uisge was rescued in Kilchoan on the Ardnamurchan peninsula shortly before she arrived.
And it was the closeness of their arrival times which helped to inspire Beatha’s Gaelic name.
"Uisge beatha – the water of life – is the Gaelic name for whisky. So when a young otter cub arrived at the International Otter Survival Fund’s sanctuary called, Uisge, and was soon followed by a second cub, it was obvious that this new one had to be called Beatha!" said a spokesman.
"Uisge was found at Kilchoan on the Ardnamurchan peninsula after he had lost his mother. Fortunately he was taken to Hamza Yassin, a wildlife photographer who lives there, and he contacted IOSF and arranged for the transfer to Skye. Uisge already had tiny teeth and so he was soon tucking into fish soup and is now eating pieces of fish.
"The second cub, Beatha, was found crying near Aultbea. She is a lot smaller and so is on a bottle of special otter milk, which she takes greedily.
"Once they are both eating well they will be introduced to each other as it is always better to bring up two cubs together.
"They will stay at the Broadford otter hospital until they are about a year old as this is when cubs normally leave their mothers. It is really important that human contact is kept to a minimum as if they become tame they cannot be released back to the wild where they belong."
For more information about the IOSF and the work it does visit www.otter.org
