THEY TRIED TO make her go to rehab and she said… we’re not sure, actually. Otters don’t speak English.
Shannon the otter was today released back into the wild, 14 months after being found near the River Leannan in Co Donegal.
At just two months old, the orphaned animal was put into the care of the Irish Wildlife Rehabilitation Trust (IWRT).
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Dr Clyde Hutchinson of the IWRT says that it’s quite rare to come across an orphaned otter so young. Luckily, the local family who found her, and gave her the name Shannon, knew who to contact:
One of the main problems we have is that a lot of times people see an injured animal and aren’t sure what to do.
Once with the IWRT, they tried to pair Shannon up with another otter through the Irish Wildlife Matters group. With none available, it was time to go global.
In stepped the International Otter Survival Fund (IOSF), located on the Isle of Skye. With another otter of similar age, they were paired up, with Shannon making the trip across the water.
Into the wild
This step was important, Hutchinson says, in order to ensure that Shannon wasn’t harmed when the time came to reenter the wild.
Fast forward a year, and Shannon has finally been released, residing in Glenveagh National Park in Donegal.
“The nicest thing has been the collaboration between people,” Hutchinson says. “It’s nice to have a success story”.
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