An orphaned otter cub is recovering in the care of the Scottish SPCA after being rescued from a river bank near Melrose.
The distressed eight-week-old was spotted on the bank of the Ale Water, near the village of Lilliesleaf, by a member of the public, who contacted the animal welfare charity for help.
Staff collected the female cub, who has been named Rose, and took her to their Wildlife Rescue Centre in Fife, where two weeks on, she is thriving.
Centre Manager Colin Seddon said, "I advised the lady who found Rose to leave her and check back in an hour, giving mum a chance to respond to her calls if she was in the area, but the cub was still in some distress when she returned, so she caught and cared for her overnight.
"We then collected Rose and brought her to our centre where she has been coming on leaps and bounds. She is now ten weeks old and fully weaned.
"She has been moved to an outdoor enclosure and has just been introduced to shallow water, which she loves. Once our otter cubs reach this stage we take a hands-off approach to allow them to develop their natural and healthy fear of humans."
Rose will shortly be moved to the International Otter Survival Fund's base on the Isle of Skye, where she will continue her rehabilitation until she is around a year old and ready to be released back into the wild.
- Anyone wishing to report an injured or distressed animal should call the Scottish SPCA Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999.
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