Scrapstore helps otter to recover

An injured otter being cared for in at the Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary is getting a new home, thanks to staff at the Shetland Scrapstore.

The Lerwick-based recycling centre responded to a request from the sanctuary for a wooden hut to house Kirikou, the five-month-old female otter they are looking after.

Kirikou lost the use of her hind legs and tail after a dog picked her up in its mouth in December.

Since then sanctuary owner Jan Bevington has been caring for the small creature, doing everything she can to encourage it to regain the use of its legs.

“Kirikou has come a long way since she came here on Christmas Eve. Back then she could only drag her legs behind her, but she is managing to move them more and more each day,” Mrs Bevington said.

“She is now eating whole fish, which is a big step forward. We have moved her out of the house into an outbuilding and are keeping her outside in a pen during the day, so we needed a box to house her.”

She approached Vic Thomas at Shetland Scrapstore, part of the COPE social enterprise, and he and his helpers Colin Slater and Malcolm Kelly built two boxes, one with a flat roof for inside and one with a pitched roof for outside.

“Vic and his team have done us proud. We can’t thank them enough, and the people who have made a donation towards creating new otter facilities at the sanctuary,” Ms Bevington said.

Mr Thomas said: “We were very pleased to be able to respond to Jan’s request. We’re very supportive of what she is doing, and it’s great to be able to use waste wood for such a good cause.”