AN otter pup discovered on a doorstep is being cared for by wildlife rescue volunteers in Newton Tony.

The pup, who has been named Dora, was rescued last Wednesday by Wiltshire Wildlife Hospital and was found half-a-mile from the River Avon by Wiltshire Wildlife Hospital. The charity have asked us not to publicise the exact location of where the otter was found.

Wildlife care supervisor Marilyn Korkis, who has been taking care of the pup, said: "She is in quite good health. We don't know where she came from."

She is eating well and has been getting through a piece fresh trout every day.

Describing when she was found, Marilyn said: "She was quite feisty. She had ended up on a doorstep and had squashed herself between a wooden box and the wall of the door."

She says the homeowners had the "shock of their lives" when they came across the pup. She says one of them had gone to put their foot to the ground when the pup came out of its hiding place and tried to bite it.

However, it is a mystery as to how the young otter came to be there as pups her age would still be with their mothers. It is unclear what happened to her mother as she was nowhere to be seen.

Marilyn says the pup was frightened but when she was brought back to the centre started eating straight away.

The "feisty" pup is doing well and will be going to the RSPCA's West Hatch Animal Centre in Taunton where she will have another young other play mate. It is hoped she will be able to released back into the wild.

The charity runs a rescue, care, rehabilitation and release service in and around Wiltshire and relies on donations. For information go to wildthingsres-q.org.uk.

n The Red tailed python that was found outside the gates near the Wiltshire Wildlife Hospital in October has now been found a home.

It was left outside in a large plastic container with a note saying “Warning, live snake”.