Quote:

---

She and her family had been seen playing in and around Corte Madera Creek for several weeks, but when Greenbrae residents heard desperate distress calls instead of the otters' usual chirps and whistles, they grabbed their kayak and paddled toward the sounds.

To their horror they found one of the baby otters drowning! Mother otters don't teach their pups to swim until they are 3 - 4 months old, and this little one was much too young to be in deep water.

They pulled her from the water and called the Marin Humane Society to rush her to WildCare. Admitted as patient #681, this baby was hypothermic and risked pneumonia from her cold plunge. She was very weak and her little body barely survived the ordeal. Two other siblings were found later, drowned and beyond help. Their mother was never found.

In the Wildlife Hospital, our supportive care, including heat, oxygen, subcutaneous fluids and antibiotics, slowly revived the little patient and by Monday she was alert and very feisty. Medical staff bottle-fed her every three hours (even through the night!) and she continued to improve. Click here to view video of this baby being given her bottle.

---