Orphaned otter cubs moved as Devon rehab centre floods

The UK Wild Otter Trust rescued 31 orphaned and injured otters in 2022

Eight orphaned otter cubs rescued by a charity in north Devon have been moved because of floods.

The cubs had been housed in special enclosures at the UK Wild Otter Trust site, alongside the River Mole.

Following heavy rain, the charity's Eurasian otter rehabilitation centre started to flood on Thursday before its car park and some enclosures ended up fully under water during the weekend.

It said the cubs were "never in danger" but relocated safely within its site.

Enclosures were flooded at the UK Wild Otter Trust's two-acre site

Dave Webb, from the North Devon Otter Rehabilitation Centre, said all of the cubs had returned to their enclosure after flood waters receded.

"After a year, we'll start looking for suitable release sites and then they'll go back into the wild," he told BBC Radio Devon.

"They'll go back out as healthy animals."

The centre has a "cub hospital" on its two-acre site and 19 enclosures for the mammals.

The organisation rescued 31 orphaned and injured otters in 2022, and released 28 rehabilitated otters back into the wild.