The Hour

The European otter is Scotland’s largest carnivore and one of the most elusive and shy animals in the wild. However, although timid, these curious mammals can often come into contact with humans as their riverside habitats become victim to housing developments and expanding human settlements.

Paul and Grace Yoxon run the Otter hospital in Skye, and they are often first to the scene when an otter has been victim of a road accident or human contact. The couple have devoted their life to caring for these fascinating creatures, but are always careful not to become too attached to these wild animals.

Grace said: “You wouldn’t tame a tiger so why try and tame an otter?

“The otters we have currently are not handle-able at moment – unless I want to lose my fingers, they can be quite aggressive!

“We have two young otters in our hospital at the moment. They are kept separately. I might introduce them to each other, but this needs to be a gradual process as otters can be feisty. I need work with them and handle the otters carefully – I’ll start by introducing smells, using their bedding and swapping it into each other's enclosures”

One of the animals currently in care at the otter hospital is four-month-old Brian who was found abandoned and injured close to Inverness. Although almost lifeless at first, the youngster has been nurtured back to life by the Yoxans and is now back to his wild feisty self.

The hospital has carved out such a reputation in specialising in the creatures care that people all around the world are now contacting the Yoxans and asking for help. Injured otters everywhere from Nigeria to Portugal now receive help from Skye, and Paul and Grace are keen to take their otter caring tips worldwide.

Paul said: “We do quite a bit of international work. We recently exchanged information with wildlife rescue teams in the Congo, who keep an eye on the rare species of clawless otter found there.”

More information on Skye’s Otter Hospital and details of how to get involved can be found at the International Otter Survival Fund website.

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