Orphaned Baby Otter Rescued by Amazing Dog Walkers (PHOTOS)

A father and son were out walking their dog along a riverbank when they heard squeals from a small animal, according to The Daily Mail. What they found was adorable, but in desperate need of their help.

The kind dog walkers approached the riverbank and found a six-week-old wild otter cub which they named “Otto.” Otter cubs are largely dependent on their mothers for care, so the father and son decided to contact a local wildlife rescue for help.

The wildlife experts were unable to find the otter’s mother and Otto had to be taken into the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre for care. This tiny cub will spend about a year in their care until he’s ready to splash back into the wild.

“We don’t know whether something has happened to mum or if he has gone on a bit of an adventure on his own, but when he came in he had been off his mother’s milk for some time,” Krista Langley, head of the Wildlife Haven, told The Daily Mail.

When his rescuers first found the small otter, he was underweight, severely dehydrated and exhausted.

The cub had been separated from his mother, and was left to fend for himself. 

The Wildlife Centre said he would stay with them for about a year until he’s big enough to be released.

Watch him play with a stuffed animal that’s bigger than he is! Aww, good luck, little guy!

All image source: North News and Pictures LTD/The Daily Mail