Two abandoned otter cubs found in desperate straits are thriving after being put together at an RSPCA rescue centre.

Eve who was discovered in a bin in Durham at Christmas, and Juniper who was rescued after being found alone and distressed in a car park in Catterick Garrison are being cared for at the Stapeley Grange Wildlife and rehabilitation centre near Chester which is run by the RSPCA.

They’ve palled up and staff say they're now pretty inseparable, with the possibility of romance in the air. They will be kept at the centre for several months until they can look after themselves and then released together into a suitable habitat.

Eve was spotted in a bin near Sunderland Road in Durham by a member of the public on Christmas Eve, she was freezing cold and was gravely ill. After being taken to a vet and treated at a local wildlife centre who alerted the RSPCA she was treated for hyperthermia and slowly started to come round. She was taken to Stapeley Grange where later in January she was joined by Juniper.

He had been rescued by a local ecologist and taken to Stapeley Grange after being spotted distressed and alone in a car park at a business park in Catterick Garrison. Members of the public raised the alarm when he was seen hiding under a car and there were concerns he could be run over.

Lee Stewart, manager at Stapeley Grange, said the two orphaned otters are getting on well and after devouring their fish like cuddling up on their blankets at the end of the day.

He added: “It is always very exciting to have an otter cub with us as up until the 1980s they were struggling in the wild.

“They weren’t protected by legislation until 1978, at which point numbers were low, but over time their numbers have steadily increased and they have made a comeback in most counties in the UK.

"As a result we are seeing more being brought into Stapeley Grange. Otter rehabilitation is very specialised and you need to have suitable facilities to care for them.  Young otter cubs can be with us for up to 12 months before they can be returned to the wild so their care is not only time consuming but expensive. 

“We expect Juniper and Eve to be released together into a suitable habitat but it won’t be for sometime yet.”

Members of the public who find what they believe are abandoned otters are advised to ring the RSPCA emergency line on 0300 1234 999