Orphan Otter Pups Were Rescued in Florida

Two weeks ago 3 orphan otter pups were rescued in Florida, Titusville. The three pups were at a construction site. The baby animals are now in the care of the staff of the Florida Sanctuary and Hospital for Wildlife.

Otter pups are only 5 weeks old and two of them were already spent in the care of specialized medical personnel. Due to their fragile age and the state in which they were found they are dependent of their caretakers.

The executive director from the Florida Sanctuary and Hospital for Wildlife, Tracy Frampton, declared that the den in which the pups resided was found by accident by a homeowner that was trying to replace a driveway. Apparently at the time of the discovery there was an adult otter thee, but it ran and never came back to claim the pups.

Frampton also declared that the pup’s state is now stable, but because of their age, certain complications may occur. For now, there are out of any danger and in very capable hands.

The only thing that is needed out of them, for now, is for them to hold on and continue to feel better until they grow a little bit more. Once the pups are older they will be moved to a larger enclose that will be equipped with a pool so the otters will feel more at home.

The baby otters need the help of the readers to continue to be able to fight and grow. According to Frampton, it costs around $2,300 to raise a single pup and the hospital is in need of donations.

The northern river otter, or the Lontra Canadensis, is a semiaquatic mammal commonly found in North America. It typically lives in a borough near rivers, lakes, coastal shorelines, tidal flats, estuary ecosystems or swamps. The females usually give birth to one to six pups.

The diet of an adult river otter is mostly based on small fish, some frogs, crayfish and turtles. There have been reports of them feeding on small birds, but it is not a general choice they make.

As most of the river mammals, the northern otter population has been reduced significantly due to habitat loss. The fact that their pelts are used to fabricate haute couture clothing didn’t help them, either, nor did the pollution to which they are very susceptible.

In the present moment, there are various projects in motion that were initiated to help bring back the otter population to the North American rivers and lakes.

Image source: www.zoochat.com