Otters rescued as cubs on Mull and Western Isles released

Otters Gribun and Rush were rescued in 2016

Two otters that were rescued when they were cubs last year have been reintroduced into the wild.

Mull Otter Group and animal welfare charity the Scottish SPCA have been involved in caring for them.

One of the otters, called Gribun, was found making crying sounds on a doorstep of a house on Mull. Rush was discovered alone on the Western Isles.

Mull Otter Group helped with the release of the pair on west coast island last week.

The pair were raised together

Colin Seddon, manager of the SSPCA's Fishcross wildlife centre, said: "Luckily, both otters were around eight weeks old so we were able to introduce them to each other and allow them to develop together.

"It's important to rear otter cubs in groups as they depend on play and interaction with their own kind to learn life skills.

"We don't release otter cubs until they are at least 12 months of age as that is around the time they become independent of their mother."

He added: "As both of the otters were from the west coast, it was important to release them back in that area and we were fortunate enough to be able to release them on Mull where they could be provided with support feeding to help them adjust to their life in the wild.

"The Mull Otter Group has been a tremendous help, monitoring both Rush and Gribun since the release. I'm delighted that they've been seen in the area a number of times, feeding and interacting as wild otters should."

The otters were released on the Isle of Mull last week