Orphaned otters new home near River Aire

Yorkshire Water has announced that it will be working with the RSPCA to rehabilitate a pair of orphaned otters at a site along the River Aire. 

The water company is asking customers for their suggestions to name the otters, by commenting on their Facebook post – current suggestions include Jack and Jill, Beatrix Otter and Mr McGregor, and even Yorkshire’s most famous cheese, Wensley and Dale. 

In January 2021 the cubs were separated from their mothers due to bad weather. After numerous attempts to reunite the cubs with their mothers, the orphaned otters were admitted to the RSPCA Stapeley Grange Wildlife Hospital. 

After 13 months of rehabilitation, Yorkshire Water, Wild Aid, and the RSPCA are working closely to identify the best site for the pair to be released back into the wild. The organisations collaborate for a second time, after they worked together to successfully rehabilitate and release a pair of otter cubs near York in 2021. 

Helen Slinger, head of sustainable business at Yorkshire Water, said: “We’re so pleased to be working with Wild Aid and the RSPCA once again. We’ve had a fantastic time coming up with a few name suggestions to get the ball rolling – but would love to hear some suggestions from our customers too. Head to our Facebook page to throw your names in the hat.” 

Rob Scrivens of the RSPCA said “We’re thrilled to be working in partnership with Yorkshire Water and WildAid once again. We're sure that Yorkshire Water customers will enjoy coming up with suitably cheeky names for the lively pair.”