Staff from Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary were called to a home in South Whiteness<\/a> on Saturday, August 30.<\/p>\n A local resident who initially found the baby otter decided to wait some time for her mother to return.<\/p>\n But hours later, they found the cub had made her way to an outhouse, where she was found curled up on top of a pile of hay. Wildlife experts attended and the otter<\/a>, who is believed to be only three-weeks-old, was discovered making little squeaks – clearly missing her mum.<\/p>\n She was taken in by the sanctuary<\/a>, where she has been receiving round-the-clock care.<\/p>\n Manager Pete Bevington told the Record: “Unfortunately, it’s not unusual for otter mothers to abandon their cubs<\/a>.<\/p>\n “If a mother has three cubs <\/a>and she thinks she can only cope with two, then she’ll leave one behind.<\/p>\n “When we received the call, we didn’t hesitate to get down there because if they’re left too long without their mums, they struggle to survive<\/a>.”<\/p>\n The young pup has been named as Hope and is currently being hand-reared by caretaker Lynn Young, who has been bottle feeding the tiny mammal round the clock.<\/p>\n Pete said: “It’s a bit like having a baby<\/a>.<\/p>\n “Keeping an otter <\/a>this age alive after she’s been abandoned by mum is a real challenge and demands a lot of attention.<\/p>\n “Lynn has been keeping a really close eye on Hope <\/a>and has been feeding her pretty much every hour through the night.<\/p>\n “It was a struggle to get her weaned <\/a>onto the bottle, but she eventually got there when she realised that’s where food comes from.<\/p>\n “Right now, Lynn is making sure Hope feels secure and the pup is really clinging onto her<\/a>.<\/p>\n “We need to give her the sense of safety because of the trauma <\/a>she has been through.<\/p>\n “The challenge, though, is not to let her imprint because otters <\/a>can become attached to humans very easily.”<\/p>\n The sanctuary will keep Hope in their care for the next nine months before rehabilitating <\/a>her back into the wild.<\/p>\n Incredible footage shows the tiny pup <\/a>snuggling into Lynn’s arms after being fed.<\/p>\n Pete said: “We’ll keep her for nine months and eventually transition her to the fish diet<\/a> when she is ready.<\/p>\n “By that time, she will be incredibly strong<\/a> and curious.<\/p>\n “We now have to go through a process where we keep the otter close like she’s our own baby<\/a>, but we will have to break that connection before we release her into the wild.<\/p>\n “As soon as you give them a taste for fish<\/a>, they change and start to become fierce.”<\/p>\n The sanctuary <\/a>has no doubts that little Hope will continue to thrive.<\/p>\n Pete continued: “She clearly has a will to live<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Adorable](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0_Screenshot-2025-09-01-at-093716.png\")
Adorable Hope was rescued in Shetland on Saturday(Image: Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary)<\/p>\n![\"Little](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0_Screenshot-2025-09-01-at-093627.png\")
Little Hope was discovered curled up in a garden(Image: Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary )<\/p>\n![\"Tiny](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0_Screenshot-2025-09-01-at-093706.png\")
Tiny Hope has been receiving round-the-clock care(Image: Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary )<\/p>\n![\"Hope](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0_Screenshot-2025-09-01-at-093750.png\")
Hope will be kept in the sanctuary’s care for around nine months(Image: Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary)<\/p>\n