When a tiny baby otter was orphaned, and alone, the poor little girl wasn’t sure where to go for help. Luckily for her, she wandered into the right spot at the right time with the right people.
Tamera-Kay Greenwell and her husband were standing in their Florida home garage when all of a sudden, they saw an animal come scampering inside. At first, the couple was confused as to what the critter even was.
“At first, I thought she was a ferret,” Greenwell told The Dodo. “It was about 8 p.m. at night. My immediate thought was, ‘Oh my goodness, where is Mama?’ Because I knew she was a baby. She was crying so loud, I thought she was going to die.”
As Greenwell approached the animal, she realized it was an otter far too young to roaming about by herself.
Since Greenwell, like most people, had never dealt with an otter before, let alone a baby otter, she figured the animal had wandered away from the nearby stream. So, she decided to wrap the baby girl in a blanket and walk her back to the stream.
Greenwell and her husband went to bed thinking the otter was back safely at home. However, the very next morning, they had a surprise waiting for them in the garage – the baby otter was back inside waiting for them.
After the otter returned the next morning, Greenwell was beginning to suspect that the little baby didn’t have a mother.
Now that the couple realized that the otter was in need of help, they decided to offer her some cat food. The otter was clearly hungry because it ate up the cat food within just a couple seconds. Greenwell knew that she had to find her some help from a rescue group of some sort.
“I am guessing she came to the home she knew would keep her safe — to find protection,” she said. “She was so scared, sweet and lovable.”
Knowing she couldn’t help this otter for much longer, she called animal services which took her to Clay Humane, Inc. for assistance and medical evaluation.
The baby otter had a medical assessment, and they found a small cut on her ear, but other than that, she was healthy. The problem was, the little girl was just 4 to 6 weeks old and needed serious care in order for her to grow to a healthy weight to survive on her own.
Thankfully, according to Clay Humane, Inc., say that she was rescued just in time. They agreed that the little girl was an orphan and took her under their wing. They lovingly named her Daisy.
“Meet Daisy. She’s OTTERLY ADORABLE and was recently found in someone’s garage in Orange Park!”
We’re so happy that Daisy is now in safe hands. We’re certain she has a long, happy and healthy life in front of her. It seems that Daisy chose the right garage to wander into on that evening – she could sense that they were there to help.
So, what makes otters so special? Here are some interesting facts:
- Ancient religions once thought otters were sacred
- Otter moms have been known to adopt orphaned pups
- They have the thickest fur of any mammal on the planet
- A group of otters is called a ‘romp’ or a ‘bevy’
- Otters love to play and even create their own waterslides
- Baby otters are buoyant, but they can’t swim on their own. Their moms will wrap them in kelp, so they float.
And just for fun, here’s an adorable video of otters playing. You’re welcome!
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