An otter has been getting extra treats and attention as he starts “coming to terms” with the death of his father, staff have said.
Buster is now the only otter at Washington Wetland Centre, near Sunderland, after his dad Musa died at the age of 17 last week.
Living collections manager Mark Tabone said the duo had a “typical father and son dynamic” and did everything together.
There are hopes to find Buster a companion, but until then “he’s got his members that come and see him every week and he knows his familiar faces,” Tabone said. “I think that’ll definitely guide him through this grieving process.”
He said the “amazing outpour” of support from the public following Musa’s deaths was helping staff, as well as Buster.
“I think seeing all the amount of love that Musa had has really perked the team up and made us think it wasn’t just us that loved him, it was everyone.”