Baby otter rescued after being abandoned in Suffolk field

Ms Catford said the otter was lucky not to have been caught by a predator

A tiny otter just "hours away from death" was rescued after apparently being abandoned by its mother.

It was found in a field near the River Deben in Wickham Market in Suffolk and taken to Wildlives Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Essex to be cared for.

Rescuer Rosie Catford said the kit had probably been moved by its mother because of flooding but "dropped".

It has now been moved to a specialist centre in Devon for rehabilitation.

Ms Catford, from the rescue centre in Thorrington, said the otter, thought to be about three weeks old, was first spotted in a field by a member of the public and the RSPCA was later alerted.

The otter can expect a 12-18 month process of rehabilitation

When the female kit was brought in, its eyes were only just beginning to open, suggesting it was very young, she said.

It is thought the otter ended up in the field when its mother tried to move her babies when the river began to flood.

"She maybe dropped her when she was moving the other kits and could not go back," Ms Catford said.

She said baby otters usually stayed with their mother for about a year and this one would not have survived the day if she had not been rescued and brought in for help.

"If the cold, the wet or dehydration hadn't got her - she would have been predated," she said.

After several days of care, Ms Catford said: "This little one has stolen our hearts.

"But, we have to do what is best for her and her future, and so she has been transferred to the UK Wild Otter Trust in Devon where she will be cared for by experts and eventually released into the wild."

Ms Catford said it could be up to 18 months before the otter could be safely released.