Getting closer to nature and animals tends to be an exciting activity for people of all ages. South Devon hosts a family run rescue Otter Sanctuary where the most widespread European, North American river and smallest Asian otters are all well looked after. Adult ticket costs £8.
The cute but definitely not shy otters are all very friendly, playful and love attention. They love unlimited amounts of trout and barely eat any mackerel (speaking from experience).
If you wish to get even closer and feed them, you can book the otter experience £125 for two people. It lasts about 2 hours, during which you and your partner get as close as possible to the different types of otter, learn about their routine, get the chance to prepare them a meal and then even hand feed some of them.
The Asian otters are unusual and live in large families and are clever enough not to mate with their brothers and sisters.
Some of the otters will be released in the wild but others imprinted on humans as babies and now think that people are their family so can’t survive on their own.
Their dens are lit with red light so it’s still pitch black for them when they sleep but we can still look at them.
Night night little otter 🦦