Two orphaned North American river otters are back where they belong — in the wild — after spending months learning the survival skills they'd need without their mother. The Florida Wildlife Hospital on the Space Coast released the two female otters on August 5 following a careful, multi-step rehabilitation process.
The otters arrived at the hospital separately earlier this year. The younger of the two came in as an infant on January 15, and the second arrived as a juvenile on February 13. After each completed an initial quarantine, staff paired them together once the younger otter had grown enough to be a good match for her companion.
Caring for river otters is no small undertaking. Staff started by bottle-feeding the animals, then gradually moved on to teaching them how to swim and hunt live fish and blue crabs — skills they'd never had the chance to develop on their own. Executive Director Tracy Frampton noted that otters rank among the hospital's most resource-intensive patients, both because of the cost of their diet and the extended time required to prepare them for life in the wild. She did add, however, that they're "pretty entertaining to watch."
The Florida Wildlife Hospital has been serving the Space Coast community for more than 50 years. Last year, the organization treated a record 7,644 wildlife patients and operates around the clock, accepting native wildlife every day of the year.
This story was originally reported by Beatriz Oliveira for WFTV Channel 9.
