Otter cubs occasionally become separated from their mothers through road accidents or flooding. Rehabilitation requires specialist expertise and careful welfare management.
Otter cub rehabilitation welfare involves managing two conflicting needs: the cub requires feeding, warmth, and social interaction, but human contact must be minimised to prevent welfare-compromising imprinting. Specialist facilities use indirect feeding methods and otter companion systems (pairing cubs where possible) to meet social needs without human imprinting. The welfare investment in successful rehabilitation is significant - each cub requires months of specialist care before release. The welfare outcome for successfully released otters returning to wild river life justifies this investment, but only with properly managed protocols.