An orphaned river otter is cared for at Think Wild in Bend in June. The pup and its sibling have been transferred to a center on the coast for rehabilitation.
Two river otter pups arrived Sunday at the Wildlife Center of the North Coast in Astoria after spending a month at Think Wild in Bend.
Three river otter siblings were found orphaned at Cove Palisades State Park near Culver by a park ranger last month. One of the pups died before reaching Think Wild, a wildlife rescue, while the two sister pups were uninjured but moving slowly.
An orphaned river otter is cared for at Think Wild in Bend in June. The pup and its sibling have been transferred to a center on the coast for rehabilitation.
Think Wild photo, file
Once the animals were stable, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife permitted a transfer to the {span}Wildlife Center of the North Coast{/span}, where they can be safely enclosed.
The enclosure in Astoria has housed one river otter in the past. Ginger Nealon, the center’s rehabilitation coordinator, said the center plans to make some changes as the pups age.
“When you have two otters, they kind of keep each other wild,†Nealon said. “When you have one otter, without a parent and without any siblings, it needs, you know, to bond with something, somebody, anybody and it quickly became habituated, despite our best efforts to make sure that we were handling it appropriately and habituating it. But it was deemed nonreleasable.â€
Since the two sisters came in together, Nealon is hopeful they can keep the otters unacquainted with humans. Workers plan to dress in ghillie suits and other gear to conceal themselves. Nealon said the center wants to prevent the otters from associating humans with food.
Like other animals being rehabilitated at the center, the otters will remain shielded from public view.
Nealon said the center has trail cameras in the enclosure and will post videos and photos of the otters as they progress.
If all goes to plan, Nealon said the otters should be released in Central Oregon in eight to 12 months.
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