TACOMA, WA – A young river otter is on the road to recovery after being rescued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in southwest Washington this week.
According to the agency, a USFWS employee discovered the hypothermic and dehydrated otter alone on Wednesday after its family was struck and killed by a vehicle. Staff quickly transported the juvenile to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator — the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma.
At the zoo, veterinary teams placed the female otter under anesthesia for a full-body X-ray and blood work. USFWS veterinary medical officer Christine Parker-Graham reported that the exams showed no signs of major trauma…