Otter 'escorts' mate to hospital

Hospital staff were amazed to see an otter appear to escort its injured mate to the front door of their building.

The animals paused at the door and one appeared to look
up at an intercom, according to staff at Broadford Hospital on the Isle
of Skye.

The otters eventually ran away, leaving bloody footprints where they had been.

Charge nurse Chrisann O'Halloran said the night shift
could not believe what they were seeing on the hospital's CCTV cameras
on Thursday morning.

She said: "We have got CCTV inside the hospital and at the front door.

"Night staff continually monitor it and were looking at it when they saw two otters running up to the door.

"By the time the staff got to the door they had gone, but there were little bloody footprints where they had been."

The charge nurse added: "It's really funny to watch
because one looks up at the door and then turns to the other as if
talking to it.

"I thought the animals are very, very shy, but they
crossed a big open tarmac with staff cars parked in it to get to the
front door."