“I’m sharing difficult news on behalf of the UK Wild Otter Trust – news that has left me and our volunteers devastated.
As some supporters know, my wife and I live on the same estate as the rescue centre. We’ve been here for four years and, in that time, built an incredible rescue and rehabilitation centre for the UK’s injured and orphaned otters. We had always been reassured by our landlords that, whatever happened, the otter centre would be safe and would not need to move.
On September 18th, we were given four months’ notice to leave our home. While that is inconvenient, it’s not insurmountable. The bigger issue is that we have also been given six months’ notice to dismantle and move all otter centre materials, animals, and associated equipment.
To say we are shocked is an understatement. We have had little time to process this because our agreement requires us to restore the land fully if we ever move, so we’ve already had to begin dismantling parts of the centre.
Breaking down the centre – which comprises 20 otter enclosures, a dedicated otter hospital, and substantial storage – will take time. It took almost four years to build it to the high standard we need to deliver our work.
Each year, more than 30 cubs need our help, and we release around the same number back into the wild. Our facilities have enabled this life-saving work.
Now, however, we must leave it behind. We will salvage as much as possible to save money, but funding is our immediate challenge.
Although still very much working out the logistics, we plan to rebuild and start again on a new site in North Devon, generously offered by a supporter. Without this lifeline, the notice would have effectively closed us down as an organisation. Establishing the new site will also bring its own significant costs and challenges.
In the meantime, we need funds in the bank to keep operating: to feed the 14 cubs currently in our care and to cover essential bills such as electricity, water, and other running costs. We remain entirely volunteer-run – none of us takes a wage.
Returning the current land to its original paddock condition will be costly, and most enclosures cannot be salvaged due to how they were constructed.
We estimate the total cost of moving, demolishing, and rebuilding will be around £15,000. We have six months to vacate this land – and therefore six months to establish the new site.
This is no small task, and I know it’s a big ask. But my priority – as always – is the cubs. We must meet this target. If we don’t, the UK Wild Otter Trust will not survive. Years of work could be lost.
On a personal note, this is incredibly hard to say. I have been dedicated to otters since 1998 when I first formed the UK Wild Otter Trust and to know the rehabilitation centre will be gone within 6 months is devastating to all involved. We will of course ensure that all otters currently in care are the priority as usual and we will overcome this with your help. I am grateful for the space the landlords have afforded us over the last four years, but it is still devastating to be told to leave after such long-standing reassurances that we were safe. I truly thought we had struck gold living so close to where Tarka the Otter was filmed and having access to the land for the centre – that adds an extra sting.
Please, please, dig deep and help us once again to protect the UK’s otters and save our charity.”
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