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In a surprising incident in south Scotland, an otter managed to sneak into a local garden centre, prompting vets to intervene in order to safely capture the animal. The episode unfolded at Matt Williamson and Son, located in Closeburn, north of Dumfries, where CCTV footage revealed the otter entering the premises unobserved during Monday lunchtime.
Once inside, the creature found a hiding spot beneath a shelf and remained trapped overnight. The next morning, it helped itself to some dog food and bird seed before causing a bit of disruption by knocking over stock. Staff only discovered the unexpected visitor when they opened the garden centre at 9:00 am on Tuesday. To secure the otter, a fishing net was used, and with assistance from Nithsdale Vets, the animal was eventually caught and released back into a nearby burn.
Craig Williamson, who works at the garden centre, described the otter’s behavior based on the CCTV footage. He recounted how the otter arrived around 12:30 pm on Monday, casually exploring and settling under a shelf, likely to rest. Early the next morning, it resurfaced for breakfast, sampling dog food and bird seed, before staff arrived. Initially, they mistook the mess for something caused by a village cat locked inside. It was only after spotting the otter’s head that they realized the true culprit.
The capture was not without challenge. Williamson noted, “It was a challenging beast to contain as it outsmarted us when trying to contain it into a smaller space to capture it.” After about 20 minutes of effort, the team was able to catch the otter and hand it over to the vets, who released it safely back into the wild. This unusual situation was highlighted by Nithsdale Vets on social media, who emphasized how every day in veterinary practice can bring unexpected events. In Scotland, where otters are relatively common particularly along the west coast and islands, these protected animals must not be harassed or disturbed, as strict laws safeguard their wellbeing and habitats
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