Hit-and-run leaves California river otter with brain swelling, expected release soon
A male river otter struck by a car in Vacaville was taken to a wildlife rescue center and is projected to be released back into the wild within about a week.
A young male North American river otter was hit by a vehicle on a road near Vacaville and brought to the Solano Wildlife Rescue and Education Center west of Sacramento on Friday. Although the animal has no fractures, it sustained a chin abrasion and brain swelling. Founder Amy Pedrioli said the veterinary team expects the otter to recover enough for release within seven to ten days, provided it can discontinue pain medication for at least 72 hours and resume typical otter activities such as foraging and aggression.
The otter, weighing about 15.5 pounds, is currently on pain relief while staff monitor its progress. This is the first live river otter the center has cared for, after handling two dead otters last year. River otters in California are most abundant in the Suisun Marsh and are increasingly threatened by human encroachment.
Why it matters
It highlights wildlife rescue efforts and the challenges otters face from road traffic and habitat loss.
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