Rescued otter recovers in Fota

AN ailing otter is being treated in Fota after being discovered curled up in a ball in Skibbereen on Saturday. 

Ciara O’Driscoll of Coronea said she knew something was up when the family dog, Cody, starting going ‘bonkers’ in the garden.

Ciara, together with her children – Tom, Dermot and Orla – went to investigate and they found a dark, furry creature sheltering near a wall. Even with dog Cody bouncing around the place, Ciara said there was no movement from the animal. 

It had curled itself up so tightly into a ball it was hard to identify.

Ciara called the local vet, Jerry McCarthy, who was able to capture the young female otter, put it in a cage, and bring it back to his surgery at Marsh Road.

Treating the animal for a suspected virus, the vet gave her antibiotics and put her on a special recovery diet.

He said: ‘She is now eating well and seems to be recovering, but we had to send her to Fota Wildlife Park where she could get more specialised treatment.’

Ciara and the children travelled to Fota on Tuesday, March 26th to see the otter safely ensconced in her new home, where she will remain until she is fit and well and ready to be released back into the wild.