A tiny wild otter has been found snoring in zoo’s flamingo enclosure – and no one knows how he got there.
The lost pup was just a few months old and weighed 28oz – less than half a bag of sugar – when he was discovered fast asleep by the edge of a lake at Colchester Zoo in Essex.
Called ‘Mingo’ by baffled staff, the otter was dehydrated and weak.
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Experts believe he could have been orphaned, abandoned or wandered too far from home, as reported by What’s The Jam.
“Mingo was found early in the morning, curled up on the bank of the main lake out in the open, fast asleep and snoring his head off,” Jody Bedford, of Colchester Zoological Society (CZS) in Heckfordbridge, Colchester, Essex, said.
“When he was found we gave him a few hours to see if mum would reappear.
“Knowing otters, it’s odd behaviour to see a cub out in the open like he was.”
Mingo was taken in by Wildlives Rescue, Colchester.
The centre’s founder, Rosie Catford, said: “Mingo arrived at the centre very dehydrated, weak and frightened.
“He responded quickly to emergency care but was not the easiest of cubs to bottle feed.
“Otters need specialist care, and as we’ve worked with the UK Wild Otter Trust on many previous occasions, a call was made to their centre.
“Transport was quickly arranged, and Mingo was off to Devon.”
Mingo was quickly transferred to the UK Wild Otter Trust’s centre in North Devon, the country’s leading specialist facility for otter care and rehabilitation.
Dave Webb, founder of the trust, said: “We’re still baffled as to how Mingo ended up in the flamingo habitat- it’s a total mystery.
“But what’s absolutely clear is that he wouldn’t have survived much longer on his own.
“Otter cubs this young rely entirely on their mothers, and without immediate intervention, Mingo’s chances were zero.
“Thanks to the quick response from CZS and Wildlives Rescue, we’ve been able to give him a second chance at life, and he’ll be released back into the wild when he’s strong enough.”
Mingo now weighs 7Ib and is said to be thriving.
He has been successfully teamed with two other cubs of a similar age and size, Idris and Scratch.
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