Otter Release May 2014

 

3 beautiful, well grown otters are now living wild once again under a Yorkshire sky.

 

3 Royal otters, the historical name for spotty coated otters, were found lost and cold near Fryton.

The Fryton householders spent time searching for any siblings of the original cub found near a guinea pig hutch. 

 

 

3 cubs were found over a few days and we revived them and they were taken to The Chestnut Centre in Derbyshire before going on to their bigger centre, The New Forest Wildlife Park for rearing. They do an amazing job with the rehab of wild otters. One of the cubs did not make it but the 2 males grew well and thrived. Release plans for any wild casualty are thought of as soon as the casualty is brought in, particularly if it is a juvenile. Can we get it back to its parents , who do a better job than we can ever do.

 

 

Another female cub came into care from Skerne, she was found alone and cold on a frost snowy night. She soon revived but had an injury to her tail. Mike Jones vet from Battleflatts vets , Stamford Bridge examined her. The tip of her tail had withered and she needed an operation to remove the dead tissue.







 

 

Mike did a wonderful job and her tail healed well,she was then named Stumpy !

 

She too travelled down to the New Forest and was superbly cared for.

 

 

Release plans were put in place and the 3 adults, Hover and Rye, the 2 spottys and Stumpy travelled home in their individual kennels for release.

 

 

 

Here is Mike Jones the vet and Craig Ralston, Senior Reserve Manager LDV lifting the lids on the kennels for the release. Pens are made with an electric fence, a pond , kennels and food are placed at the release site and the otters live there for a few days before the fence is quietly lowered and they are free to go. Food is left out for a while as some insurance. These release pictures were taken by Helen Jones.

 

 

 



 

They are so beautiful, fit, healthy, wary, spotty but keen to be out and to be on with their wild life.

 

Stumpy was taken to her release site where she was quietly placed in the pen, she was more reserved than the males and only her nose was visible as she sniffed the air of home.

Her release went well and she too has gone out in to wonderful otter habitat away from roads and people.

 

My grateful thanks to the householders of Fryton, Slingsby and Skerne.

 

Also to Ed Heap, Roger Heap, Jason and Donna and all the staff at the Chestnut Centre and New Forest Wildlife Park for their wonderful care of these orphans.

 

My grateful thanks to Mike Jones, the vet for his support and care for wild beasts and for helping these lovely wild mammals.

 

A big THANKYOU to Craig Ralston NE , Fallon Mahon NE , Jamie Roberts and Jon Traile YWT for help and support with release sites and continued care and monitoring.

 

I am indeed a lucky woman to have had the experience of caring for these otters and to see them go on to lead the wildlife they were intended for. It is so good to have the support and enthusiasm of all the people that have helped to get these creatures back to their homes.

 





Birds of Prey.

This lovely male last years Peregrine was found under over head wires with a wing totally missing.  He was put to sleep, its a miracle he survived the shock etc. he must have hit the wires hard and fast.

 

Birds of prey and their persecution has been in the news again. I am dealing with a dead buzzard found in suspicious circumstances. If anyone sees / hears or finds an injured/ dead bird of prey or knows of misdeeds concerning birds of prey PLEASE talk to North Yorkshire Police / RSPB investigations unit /me .

 

 

I have 4 juv Tawnies in , all 4 were found under trees on the floor. Young tawnies leave the nest and become "branchers" before they can fly. These 4 sadly had not reached that stage and were too weak to climb back up . I have seen them do this at the stage this biggest bird is in the picture.

So ask for advice if you find a young tawny it may be perfectly fine and being cared for. Its such a shame to lift them if they parents are caring for them as normal.

Juv Barn Owls on the floor are very vulnerable and adult Barn Owls tend not to feed or care for their young if they leave the nest site early. So ask for advice .

The baby bird season is upon us and please remember no young garden bird is a good flyer to begin with. If you are worried about juv birds on the floor then lift them up to shed /garage roof, bush /tree but keep them close to where you found them. The parent birds will be close by .

Roe deer will be giving birth late May to June and a reminder if you see a young spotty fawn in cover or sat alone, DO NOT TOUCH it, its mother will be feeding close by and are easily spooked by dogs etc.

I love the spring and I am busy with blackbirds, hedgehogs, tawnies and lots of ducklings.