The first few weeks of an animal’s life are a critical time in their development. Their survival depends on having family close by to feed them, show them the ways of the world, and keep them safe.
So, when a retired man in Singapore noticed a newborn otter in a canal all by itself, he knew something must be terribly wrong.
The poor baby was stuck in the treacherous water, and his family was nowhere to be found. With no time to spare, the would-be rescuer sprung into action… and you’ll be amazed at what happened!
Some sort of parental presence is vital during the start of a baby’s life on Earth. Children are completely reliant on their parents for help, and they look to adults to give them the guidance they require. This goes for animals, too! So when one man from Singapore saw a baby otter stranded in a canal with no parent or sibling with him, he knew something wasn’t right.
Patrick Ng had been walking past a canal near his home one morning when he saw what looked like frantic splashing in the water at the base of the canal. As he looked over the edge, he spotted a six-week-old baby otter frantically trying to escape the choppy waters.
Patrick immediately rushed down to the edge and snatched the struggling pup out of the water. After returning him to his den, Patrick contacted Otterwatch, a local animal rescue organization that deals specifically with otters. They decided to name the adorable little guy “ZooToby,” and promised to keep an eye on him and see if his family returned to the den. The wait was excruciating…
Sadly, after 10 hours of monitoring the den, ZooToby’s family still hadn’t returned, and the Otterwatch employees became concerned. They decided to bring him to the Wildlife Reserves Singapore to be cared for by a group of trained vets.
For the first few days after the pup arrived, he was bottle-fed regularly, given a vitamin B injection, and treated for worms. After a week, the staff assessed ZooToby’s health and decided it was time to try to reintroduce him to the wild once more.
However, reuniting the pup with his family proved to be no easy task. Different groups of helpers went to various strategic locations all over the coast, but there was no sign of ZooToby’s family anywhere…
Finally, one group found what they hoped would be the best location; it was a sandy beach not far from where his original den was. A group of 20 people, consisting of wildlife organization members and otter enthusiasts, tagged along for the hopeful reunion. They set up camera equipment to capture the reintroduction, and everyone crossed their fingers!
The man leading the charge, whose name is Sivasothi, slowly walked out to the sandy shore holding the ZooToby’s crate. He hoped that the pup’s family was somewhere close by, and once they saw their little otter, they would immediately welcome him back.
ZooToby was gently placed on the sand, and Sivasothi backed away and joined the rest of the spectators, who were all eagerly watching the small otter pup. Was this the moment of truth? Would ZooToby’s family find him on the shore?
It took a truly caring and generous group of people to put so much effort into finding this pup’s family. After multiple failed attempts, the group was starting to lose hope. Just watch the video below to see if ZooToby ever found his family…
Thank goodness he was there to help this little guy find his family. What a happy reunion!
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