A two-month-old otter was saved from drowning in the River Cam by tourists and St John’s college staff earlier this week.

The otter cub had been taking refuge in a hole in the wall of a college building. It is believed that it had become separated from its family and trapped there.
At midday on Monday a member of staff heard a loud high-pitched squeaking sound coming from the river. A group of staff inspected the side of the river but were unable to identify the animal.

They contacted the RSPCA for advice but moments later the otter emerged from the hole and attempted to swim across the river to the opposite bank. It was swept up by the current and only just managed to cling on to part of the wall.

Richard Pauley, one of the staff members present at the scene said: “It was hanging on for dear life. There’s no way that it would have been able to survive if it had fallen in because it could barely keep its head above the water.”

The group persuaded a family who were passing in a punt to turn around and bring the otter to safety. They wrapped it in a towel and the otter fell asleep.

The otter has now been taken to Cambridgeshire Wildlife Care. A spokesperson for the centre said the otter was recovering well, and that it would later be moved to another wildlife sanctuary with other otter cubs to receive specialist care.