'Unacceptable, cowardly, and illegal': Charities outraged after baby otters found dumped at roadside
Wildlife charities are appealing for help to find out how two otter cubs were dumped on the side of a Shropshire road.
The cubs were found on Wednesday in a cage near to Sleap airfield, with a note for someone to call Cuan Wildlife Centre to rescue them.
It is illegal to take otters from the wild in the UK and it is a mystery how the pair ended up in the cage, but fortunately a passer-by noticed the animals and contacted the wildlife centre.
The otters are said to be 'doing well' after their ordeal, and have since been transferred to the UK Wild Otter Trust in Devon.
The plan is for the pair to eventually be released back into the wild.
Now both charities are appealing for information over how the otters ended up in a cage on the side of the road – and who was responsible – with a reward for information.
Writing on social media, Cuan Wildlife Centre said: "A very rare one for us! These two otter cubs (Lutra lutra) were found dumped on the side of the road early morning of Wednesday close to Sleap.
"They were in a cage with a note on the top for someone to call us to rescue them.
"Luckily they were found by a local man who got them to safety so we were able to rush out to get them.
"It is unclear how long they had been out there, especially as the weather was awful that night.
"They were both underweight, lethargic and soaking wet!
"We got them settled in, warmed up and they started eating well. They have now been transferred to a special otter rehab facility, the UK Wild Otters Trust, where they will continue to grow and be released again as sadly we do not have the facilities to keep otters long term.
"It is illegal to kill, injure or take otters, as well as other animals, from the wild under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
"The condition these otters were found in also goes against many animal welfare laws too.
"Our local Rural Crimes officer has been made aware and an investigation is taking place.
"If you know anything about this, even if you drove past and can give a time when you saw them, please do not hesitate to give us/rural crimes a call."
Dave Webb, founder of the UK Wild Otter Trust, appealed to anyone who may have seen anything suspicious to contact him.
He said: “Although we’ve unfortunately been called out to some strange and upsetting circumstances in the past, this feels like a new low.
"How can anyone leave any animal in a box on the side of the road? And what were the circumstances which led two young wild animals to be in this situation?
"This seems to be a planned act of unprecedented cruelty and we will do everything we can to bring the people responsible for this act to justice.”
Mr Webb said that although no further details are known at this stage, someone must know the circumstances that led to the cubs being discarded.
He said: "Whoever did this could have easily taken them to a rescue and not dumped them on a busy road. If anyone knows anything about this incident – however inconsequential it may seem – please email us at otters@ukwot.org or call us on 07866 462820 in complete confidence.”
Mr Webb, who founded the charity in 1998, and devotes his life to rescuing and rehabilitating Eurasian otters, added: “I am fully aware that there are some people out there that are capable of immense cruelty towards animals. To do this to any animal is unacceptable, cowardly, and illegal. We sincerely hope that someone has information on this or even has CCTV footage from the area that can be passed to the Wildlife Crime Officers investigating this rural crime.”
The two small otter cubs are now safely under the care of Mr Webb and his team of volunteers at the UK Wild Otter Trust’s site in North Devon.
They are said to be "resting and recovering" from the stress of their ordeal and will be released back into the wild when they’re old enough.
Mr Webb added: “We of course want to thank the staff at Cuan Wildlife Trust and the person who alerted them to the otters and ultimately saved their lives.”
The UK Wild Otter Trust said it is is offering a "substantial reward for any information leading to the prosecution of the person or persons involved in this case".
Anyone with information can contact Dave Webb at the UK Wild Otter Trust at otters@ukwot.org or 07866 462820.
