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The orphaned baby otter when she was first admitted to WildCare. Photo by Melanie Piazza
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Our otter pair on the first day they met. Photo by Melanie Piazza
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The otters are not happy about transportation to the release site. Photo by Melanie Piazza |
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Being transported to shore. Photo by Melanie Piazza |
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Doris Duncan of Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue opens the cage door. Photo by Melanie Piazza |
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Our otters swam happily into the sunset and we wish them luck! Photo by Melanie Piazza |
orphaned river otters
A few months ago we introduced you to a baby River Otter who, found drowning in Corte Madera Creek, was admitted to WildCare.
After being in intensive care in WildCare's hospital for several days, she was transferred to another center that had a specialized facility for otters. Unfortunately neither they nor we admitted another River Otter all summer.
It wasn't until September that she finally got a companion— another orphan admitted to Sonoma Wildlife Rescue Center (SCWR).Watch them meet for the first time in our video "A Tale of Two Otters."
In SCWR's brand-new pool, specially built for their species, these two little otters grew strong and healthy and learned the behaviors that would help them survive in the wild.
At least we hoped they learned all the skills they'd need!
Releasing a rescued baby once she's big and strong enough is the most rewarding part of WildCare's work, and we give our patients the best possible preparation for their new lives.
But like parents watching their kids go off to college, we worry— Did we teach them everything they'll need to know?
teaching survival
How do you train a baby River Otter to survive in the wild?
First your baby must be strong and healthy enough to make it in the real world, so providing the optimal diet throughout her development is the first step.
Then you have to make sure she knows what prey looks like, so a diverse selection of local fish, crustaceans and other delicacies is required.
Finally you have to ensure that she knows how to find and catch wily prey, so several weeks in a large pool chasing live crayfish and fish are necessary.
Each step of this process requires monitoring and frequent weight checks to make sure your baby remains healthy.
It's a lengthy process, and a patient must demonstrate success and healthy weight gain at each step to proceed to release.
otter release
It was on a gorgeous fall day in late November that these two once-orphaned River Otters were released to make a new home for themselves in the wild.
When we saw the young otters playing together (and especially when the little male shared his lunch with our female on their first day together), we knew they would have to be released together. This pair would need each other's support to survive their first days in the wild.
The decision was made to release them at a beautiful location on Lake Sonoma, near Healdsburg in Sonoma County. The release site provided perfect River Otter habitat-- lots of food and plenty of places to hide, romp and play.
Although we knew these little otters had received the best possible care, we still worried that they would have all the survival skills they would need in their new lives. It was with great anticipation that we watched them leave their traveling carrier and start to check out their new home. Would they know where to find wild food in the lake?
Fortunately, all our fears were unfounded. Both otters enjoyed the free lunch we provided, but the lure of the lake was much stronger. Within minutes they were swimming, diving and snacking on tidbits they found in the lake's cold waters.
As we watched, they made their way up the creek away from us. They swam off into the sunset without a backward glance— and that's exactly how a release should be!
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