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There are many ways you can support otters and the UKWOT! We regularly take in abandoned or orphaned cubs for rehabilitation, and care for two resident (unreleasable) otters at our centre in Devon.
All adoption donations are used to further enhance the rehabilitation work we do, and allow us to continue with this vitally important aspect of otter conservation. Many of the otters listed below have been released back into the wild, so do not reside at the centre; however, we continually monitor these now-wild otters using remote cameras, and offer updates via our free monthly newsletter. By adopting one of these rehabilitated otters, you’ll help us to continue our vital monitoring of them and any future cubs we take in!
If you’re interested in adopting an otter, read on.
*Update: In the current situation, we have paused all shipping of our merchandise and products. In the meantime, adoptions will be offered at a reduced price and will come with a digital certificate and photograph for you to print at home.*
An otter adoption makes the perfect gift for any animal lover. Every adoption will include:
1. A certificate of sponsorship
2. A full-colour photograph of your chosen otter
Otters available for adoption
We currently have quite a few cubs in for rehabilitation and release, and two permanent residents!
Reggie
Permanent resident
3-year-old Reggie has joined us from the Tamar Otter Centre, which has very sadly closed its doors. He was found emaciated and seriously injured from a suspected dog attack, and has shown some neurological struggles, so will stay with us forever. We will completely spoil this gentle otter and give him a special enrichment program to help him settle in!
Maxwell
Permanent resident
We have recently taken in a year-old, captive-bred otter called Maxwell from the British Wildlife Centre in Surrey, who will act as a resident otter ambassador for the UKWOT in Devon, and stay with us indefinitely. He is currently enjoying his 2.5-acre enclosure, which was built especially for him!
Nutkins
Currently with us
Nutkins is our newest arrival, and came to us just days ago – so we’re still monitoring her as she gets used to her new environment. She is tiny and so will stay inside until she’s put on some more weight, after which she will go out into one of our new enclosures.
Dinsdale
Currently with us
Dinsdale was found alone by a dog walker on the bank of the River Frome, Dorset. We waited to see if her mum would return, but no luck – so we brought her to safety. She is enjoying her salmon and is quite feisty! We hope to eventually pair her up as otters gain confidence in pairs.
Puddles
Currently with us
Puddles joined us very recently from a village near Taunton, Somerset. He was found alone on a river with high water levels, and so after hours of monitoring and no sign of mum, he was brought to us. He has a year of rehab and enrichment ahead before his release.
Tom
Currently with us
Named after the vet that saved his life, Tom was very poorly when found on a riverbank in Essex, and close to dying, and only the dedication from the vet saved the day. Tom has settled in well here in Devon, and we hope his confidence will continue to grow.
Islay
Currently with us
Little Islay was found in a garden in Leicestershire curled up and alone. After being taken to a wildlife rescue centre to be stabilised for her trip to us, she joined us in Devon in mid-July 2020.
Tiggy
Currently with us
Tiggy was found in Aylesbury, taken by the RPSCA to Tiggywinkles (Buckinghamshire) in March 2020 – before joining us here in Devon, where she and Boris are being raised as a duo.
Sasi
Currently with us
Sasi joined us in February 2020 from the RSPCA! She’s a hugely grumpy and unfriendly little otter, which is a wonderful thing and will be essential when she returns to the wild.
Merlin
Currently with us
Merlin came to us from another rescue after being found in Somerset, and hadn’t experienced much of the outdoors. He will take a bit of time to adjust to the sounds, smells, and space here in Devon, but we are excited to begin his rehabilitation!
Boris
Currently with us
Boris was found curled up behind some dustbins, alone, in Salisbury in April 2020. There was no sign of his mum, so he was brought in for care.
Ribble
Currently with us
Ribble was found, cold and small, by a dog walker in Preston. Once she arrived with us and had enjoyed some food, it turned out that she was a little fighter – and a biter – so we decided to pair her up with Baggins. Although he’s bigger, she’s the boss for sure!
Baggins
Currently with us
Baggins was found in Cinderford in November, and came to us for care. We decided to pair him up with Ribble, another new cub, as companionship in their early days is vital for confidence and learning. They’ve taken to each other well, so they’ll stay together until we can release them into the wild.
Ryley
Currently with us
Found crying on a riverbank in Wiltshire, Ryley was initially feisty and hesitant to accept our help, but is now enjoying the run of one of our outdoor enclosures. He will stay with us now to complete his 9 months of rehabilitation.
Loki
Escape artist
Loki was found near Abergavenny, Wales, and brought to our rehab centre, where it became apparent that she was partially blind. Whilst eyesight is not a primary sense for an otter, it was thought best to keep her in captivity to ensure a good quality of life. However, Loki clearly had other ideas and managed to escape! We’ve since upgraded the facility to ensure it does not happen again. When Loki left us she was a very strong and healthy little otter, so we’re confident she will live on and, hopefully, have cubs of her own one day.
Olly
Rehabilitated & released
Olly came in to us from Essex at the start of the year. She was originally named after Olly Murs – but while we soon realised the gender was different than first thought, the name has stuck!
Franka
Rehabilitated & released
Franka was recently found alone in a river in Somerset in Oct 2019, and taken to the Wiltshire Wildlife Rescue centre. She weighed just under 700g when she was first found – when she gained a little more weight, she joined us here at UKWOT for ongoing rehabilitation.
Chestnut
Rehabilitated & released
Chestnut was found in South Devon alone and very close to death. She was originally reported to us as dead, but upon arrival, we realised she was still alive. She was taken to the Dartmoor otter centre and treated for severe hypothermia, ticks, and fleas. Surprisingly, she soon made a good enough recovery to move to our North Devon facility for rehabilitation. She was released on Tuesday 12th March 2019.
Squeak
Rehabilitated & released
Squeak was looking for a home from another wildlife centre – so we built a purpose-built facility just for him! We cared for Squeak as a juvenile, giving him a large pool, a warm hose and lots of food to keep him content, before eventually releasing him back into the wild as soon as he was ready.
Nipper
Rehabilitated & released
Nipper’s mum and sister were killed near Tiverton in Devon in 2018. He was found, taken to the Dartmoor otter centre for care, and then transferred to us when well enough. He was released with Hazel on the 25th August 2018.
Hazel
Rehabilitated & released
Hazel was found in a flower bed in Axminster, Devon, and taken to Dartmoor otter centre. She was cared for there and then brought up to us in North Devon where she remained until her release with her best pal, Nipper. Both Hazel and Nipper were released together on the 25th August 2018.
Lorna
Released
Lorna came to us as a juvenile from an exterior organisation just prior to release. We supplied the release site for her, and carried out the post-release monitoring.
Joy
Rehabilitated & released
Lovely Joy was found curled up in a doorway of a porch by the house owner in Suffolk. Together with her pal Hope, she was moved to our rehabilitation centre in North Devon in spring of 2019, and settled in well until both she and Hope were released back into the wild.
Hope
Rehabilitated & released
Hope was found alone on a riverbank by a dog walker in Norfolk in spring of 2019. They later returned to check on her and found she was still there, so the RSPCA took her into care at their East Winch Wildlife Centre. Together with her pal Joy, she settled nicely into our rehabilitation centre in North Devon until their release back into the wild.
Storm
Sadly passed away
Storm was found alone in a roadside hedge in Norfolk by a dog walker, and transferred to us for care. However, very shortly after arriving with us she became unwell and, despite our best efforts, sadly passed away in September 2018.