An otter cub separated from its mum has been rescued after seeking help from a family out on a dog walk in the Shetland Islands.
Magnus Sandison and his family were approached by the little animal in Whalsay on Sunday morning.
The cub was then taken into the care of the Scottish SPCA and transported to Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary in Shetland.
A spokesperson for the sanctuary said the cub’s behaviour made the family realise it was “desperate for help”.
They added: “Later Magnus heard that other people had seen and heard the otter crying for help on Saturday night, so it must have lost its mum quite some time earlier.”
The cub – which the Sandison family have called Luna – has since been rehomed within the sanctuary’s otter unit.
The spokesperson added: “It turns out the cub is a female, and very frightened, so she is quite fierce and ferocious.
“But we have managed to feed her a few times already and are hoping that she gets over the stress of coming into captivity and settles into life at the sanctuary over the next few days. Fingers crossed.”
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