A charity which rescues and rewilds injured, lost or abandoned otters is appealing as it is forced to leave its Devon base.

The North Devon-based UK Wild Otter Trust has been given six months to dismantle and move equipment, enclosures and otters by the landlords of its site at Umberleigh.

Dave Webb, UK Wild Otter Trust CEO, also lives on site and has to find a new home himself, but says the otters are his priority and thanked his landlord for the time on the site. Luckily the charity has been offered a new site elsewhere and is fundraising to move.

Dave Webb said: “I’m sharing difficult news on behalf of the UK Wild Otter Trust – news that has left me and our volunteers devastated.

“As some supporters know, my wife and I live on the same estate as the rescue centre. We’ve been here for four years and, in that time, built an incredible rescue and rehabilitation centre for the UK’s injured and orphaned otters.

“The big issue is that we have been given six months’ notice to dismantle and move all otter centre materials, animals and associated equipment.”

Before moving, the charity has to restore the land by removing 20 otter enclosures, an otter hospital and storage – which all took four years to build.

Each year more than 30 cubs are rehabilitated and released into the wild: “We will salvage as much as possible to save money, but funding is our immediate challenge.

“We plan to rebuild and start again on a new site in North Devon, generously offered by a supporter. Without this lifeline, the notice would have effectively closed us down as an organisation. Establishing the new site will bring its own significant costs and challenges.”

In the meantime, the trust needs funds to keep operating, to feed the 14 cubs now in care and to cover essential bills – all run by volunteers.

Returning the current land to its original paddock condition will be costly and most enclosures cannot be salvaged.

The trust estimate the cost of moving, demolishing and rebuilding will be around £15,000 –all in less than six months to establish the new site.

Dave said: “This is no small task, and I know it’s a big ask. But my priority is the cubs. We must meet this moving target – if we don’t, the UK Wild Otter Trust will not survive. Years of work could be lost.

“On a personal note, this is incredibly hard. I have been dedicated to otters since 1998 when I first formed the UK Wild Otter Trust and to know the rehabilitation centre will be gone within six months is devastating to all involved.

“We will of course ensure all otters currently in care are the priority as usual and we will overcome this with our supporters’ help. I am grateful for the space the landlords have afforded us over the last four years.

“Please, please, dig deep and help us once again to protect the UK’s otters and save our charity.”

Crowdfunding link on the UK Wild Otter Trust website here: https://tinyurl.com/29mfbz5h and https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-save-our-otter-charity