AssetID: 54951082
Headline: RAW VIDEO: Lost Otter Cub Found Trying To Befriend Flamingos At Colchester Zoo
Caption: A wild otter cub had to be rescued after being found in an unusual spot - Colchester Zoo’s flamingo habitat. The tiny cub, now affectionately named Mingo, was found alone - weighing just 800 grams. He is estimated to be only a few months old - far too young to survive without his mother. With no sign of his mum, Mingo was initially taken in by Wildlives Rescue, a respected local wildlife rescue centre based in Colchester. Given the specialist care otter cubs require, he was quickly transferred to the UK Wild Otter Trust’s centre in North Devon. “We’re still baffled as to how Mingo ended up in the flamingo habitat- it’s a total mystery,” said Dave Webb, Founder of the UK Wild Otter Trust. “But what’s absolutely clear is that he wouldn’t have survived much longer on his own. Otter cubs this young rely entirely on their mothers, and without immediate intervention, Mingo's chances were zero. Thanks to the quick response from CZS and Wildlives Rescue, we’ve been able to give him a second chance at life, and he’ll be released back into the wild when he’s strong enough.” The UK Wild Otter Trust’s team is now working around the clock to ensure Mingo receives the feeds, warmth, and monitoring he needs to grow strong and, eventually, be released back into the wild. Jody Bedford, Team Leader of the Tiger Section at CZS, the member of staff who initially found Mingo, said he was stunned to find the tiny wild animal: "Mingo was found early in the morning, curled up on the bank of the main lake out in the open, fast asleep and snoring his head off! When he was found we gave him a few hours to see if Mum would reappear. Knowing otters, it’s odd behaviour to see a pup out in the open like he was.” A volunteer for Wildlives Rescue initially picked up Mingo before being taken to the specialist otter facility in Devon. Rosie Catford, founder of Wildlives Rescue, said that the Trust’s centre was the best place for the tiny cub. “Mingo arrived at the centre very dehydrated, weak and frightened. He responded quickly to emergency care, but was not the easiest of cubs to bottle-feed,” she said. “Otters need specialist care, and as we've worked with the UK Wild Otter Trust on many previous occasions, a call was made to their centre. Transport was quickly arranged, and Mingo was off to Devon to receive the specialist care he needed.” Mingo now has pals of his own kind - Idris and Scratch - as otter cubs are always paired with one or two others of the same age and size when they're healthy enough. They’ll stay together in their enclosure with as little human intervention as possible for around a year, and then they’ll be old and healthy enough to survive in the wild on their own. This helps them learn otter behaviour from each other, without the mum they’d have in the wild.
Keywords: otter, animals, wildlife, feature, photo, flamingos
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