Two orphaned female river otters made their return to the wild on August 5, after spending months in the care of the Florida Wildlife Hospital in Palm Shores. The nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation center took in the first otter as an infant on January 15 and welcomed the second as a juvenile on February 13.
The road to release was a long one. Staff guided both animals through every stage of development — from bottle feeding in their earliest days to mastering the skills they'd need to survive on their own, including swimming and hunting live fish and blue crabs. Because of the strict need to keep the otters wild and wary of humans, most hospital employees only ever saw the pair on video; only the staff members directly caring for them had in-person contact.
Florida Wildlife Hospital Executive Director Tracy Frampton noted that otters rank among the most resource-intensive patients the facility takes on. "Otters are one of the most expensive patients we care for due to their expensive food and the length of time it takes for them to learn skills needed to survive in the wild," Frampton said in a statement, adding that the animals are "pretty entertaining to watch."
Hospital officials described the release with a mix of pride and bittersweet emotion, comparing it to sending a child off to college — thrilling in the planning, and a little daunting once the moment actually arrives. The pair are now back where they belong.
Anyone interested in supporting future rescues and rehabilitation efforts can donate at floridawildlifehospital.org. This story was originally reported by Jim Waymer for Florida Today.
