The Scruffy Sea Otter Read online

  Zoe gasped as the little otter scampered out. She had bright eyes and scruffy, tufty brown fur, sticking up in all directions. Zoe thought she was one of the most gorgeous things she’d ever seen!

  Chapter One

  A Monday Morning Mystery

  “Brrrriiing! Brrrriiing!”

  Zoe Parker’s eyes flew open as the telephone rang downstairs. It was still very early in the morning, and Zoe could tell from the dim light coming through her curtains that the sun hadn’t properly come up yet.

  “Who’s calling so early?” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

  Usually on school days Zoe was woken by the sound of Oscar the African elephant trumpeting noisily in his enclosure! That was because Zoe lived somewhere very special: the Rescue Zoo.

  The Rescue Zoo was an amazing place where animals who had no home or who were lost or hurt could find a safe place to live. Zoe’s great-uncle, Horace Higgins, had started the zoo several years ago. He was a famous animal expert and explorer, and he was off on one of his adventures around the world right now.

  Zoe’s mum, Lucy, was the Rescue Zoo’s vet, and she and Zoe lived in a cosy little cottage on the edge of the zoo. This meant that Zoe could visit the animals any time she wanted! Zoe thought she was the luckiest girl in the world to live where she did. She loved animals more than anything!

  As the telephone continued to ring, Zoe heard her mum’s bedroom door creak open and footsteps pad downstairs. “Hello?” she heard her mum say sleepily.

  Suddenly Zoe had a thought. “Meep, are you awake?” she whispered anxiously. “I hope one of the animals isn’t poorly!” Zoe knew that the night keepers would ring Lucy in an animal emergency, no matter what time it was, so that her mum could rush out and help.

  There was silence for a moment. Then, at the foot of the bed, next to Zoe’s toes, the duvet cover wriggled. A little furry face with big golden eyes popped out!

  Meep was a grey mouse lemur with soft fur and a long curly tail. He was Zoe’s best friend and he lived in the cottage with Zoe and her mum. Zoe and Meep did everything together – including talking!

  On her sixth birthday, Zoe had realised that she could understand animals’ grunts, barks and roars, and speak back to them too. It had made living in the Rescue Zoo even more fun! Zoe had always kept this a secret from other people though – even her mum.

  Meep’s pointy ears were pricked up, so that he could listen to what Lucy was saying. Zoe knew that lemurs had excellent hearing – much better than humans’! “I think she’s laughing, Zoe!” he chirped.

  To Zoe’s relief, she realised that Meep was right. She could hear now that Lucy was chatting happily with whoever was on the other end of the telephone. That must mean that none of the animals were hurt or ill. “So what do you think’s going on, Meep?” she wondered.

  Meep’s ears twitched. “She’s coming back up the stairs now,” he squeaked. “Maybe we’ll find out!”

  Zoe heard footsteps on the stairs again, and a moment later there was a gentle tap on Zoe’s bedroom door.

  “Zoe, are you awake?” asked Lucy, popping her head inside the room. Zoe and her mum had the same dark curly hair and freckles. Lucy was beaming with excitement. “I’ve got a surprise for you!” she said. “Quick, hop out of bed and come with me.”

  “What is it? Where are we going?” asked Zoe, climbing out of bed.

  “You’ll see!” replied her mum. “Put some clothes on and meet me downstairs.”

  Zoe stared as her mum disappeared back into her own bedroom, humming cheerily. “This is so weird!” she whispered to Meep as she quickly put on some clothes and laced up her trainers.

  Meep jumped from the bed and perched on her shoulder. “I’m coming too!” he chattered eagerly.

  Zoe and Meep were waiting by the front door when Lucy appeared. She smiled when she saw them. “Let’s go!” she said, ushering them outside and locking the door behind them.

  “Where are we going?” Zoe asked again. “What’s happening?”

  “You’ll find out very soon, I promise,” her mum assured her.

  To Zoe’s surprise, her mum walked towards the Jeep that was parked round the side of the cottage and got in.

  Zoe climbed into the Jeep and strapped herself in, with Meep nestling in her lap. Lucy started the engine and they began to drive slowly through the zoo. The early morning sun was casting a warm light over the flowerbeds bursting with spring flowers and the tall rooftops of Higgins Hall. This was the huge manor house that had belonged to Great-Uncle Horace’s family for years and years, and was now home to some of the Rescue Zoo’s reptiles.

  Lots of the animals were beginning to stir as Zoe and her mum drove along. The giraffes were stretching out their long necks, just like Zoe always stretched her arms in the morning, and the hippos were plodding into their mud bath for an early morning dip. But Zoe spotted the owls cuddling together on a branch in their enclosure with their eyes starting to close. Most of them were nocturnal animals, just like bats, which meant they slept through the daytime instead of at night.

  Zoe smiled to see Rory, the little lion cub, yawn widely and stretch out his paws before nudging his friend Leonard awake. As the Jeep rumbled past the lions’ enclosure, Zoe saw Rory stare at them in surprise and growl curiously. The little cub wanted to know where Zoe was off to in the early hours of the morning – almost as much as Zoe herself did!

  “I love seeing the zoo like this!” Zoe said. “It’s so quiet without any visitors.”

  Lucy nodded. “This is one of my favourite times of day too, when the only people around are the zoo keepers.”

  Just as she said this, Zoe spotted Jess, the otter keeper, walking along the path in the direction of the otter enclosure. Her blonde hair was tied back in a plait and she was carrying a big red bucket of fish. “Jess must be about to give the otters their breakfast!” Zoe said, waving.

  They drove right through the zoo and out of the gates, which were carved from wood and showed lots of different animals. Zoe frowned as she noticed which road her mum was taking them down. “We’re heading towards the river!” she realised.

  “That’s right,” said her mum, grinning.

  Zoe was beginning to feel very excited – and very curious!

  The Jeep turned a corner and as the river came into view Zoe saw a boat in the distance, sailing towards them. It was bright red, with a yellow sail fluttering in the breeze. Painted on the sail was a symbol: a colourful hot-air balloon. Zoe could make out a figure standing at the wheel, with a head of untidy white hair. As she watched, the figure raised an arm and waved.

  Zoe stared. “That’s the Rescue Zoo boat!” she cried. “And … that’s Great-Uncle Horace! He’s back!”

  Chapter Two

  First Mate Zoe!

  Zoe bounced up and down impatiently in her seat as her mum parked the Jeep. As soon as the engine had been switched off she unbuckled her seat belt, scooped Meep into her arms, jumped out of the Jeep and raced to the river’s edge, waving. “Great-Uncle Horace!” she shouted excitedly.

  Chuckling, her mum joined her. “It was Great-Uncle Horace on the phone this morning!” she explained. “He thought this would be a fun surprise.”

  The boat drew closer to the riverbank and Zoe saw Great-Uncle Horace throw out a long rope, which Lucy caught and wrapped tightly around a wooden post. Great-Uncle Horace was wearing a tattered, stripy sailor’s jumper and a blue captain’s hat, and his white beard looked even wilder than usual. “All aboard!” he called, beaming as the boat bumped against the bank. “Take my hand, First Mate Zoe, and hop on!”

  Zoe reached out her hand, grabbed Great-Uncle Horace’s and jumped aboard the boat, with Lucy just behind her. It felt strange and wobbly underneat
h her feet, and she had to take a few steps to find her balance. Meep squealed anxiously and scrambled on to her shoulder, wrapping his long tail around her neck to make sure he didn’t fall off.

  “Great-Uncle Horace, I’ve really missed you!” Zoe cried, jumping into his arms for a hug. “You’ve been gone for ages this time.”

  “And I’m so happy to be home, Zoe!” Great-Uncle Horace replied warmly. “I’ve been on such an adventure. I’ve been to Russia! It’s such a vast country, full of huge mountains, wild forests – and lots of different animals that needed my help! Isn’t that right, Kiki?”

  There was a squawk as a blue bird fluttered down from the flagpole and landed on Great-Uncle Horace’s shoulder. Kiki was a hyacinth macaw with beautiful glossy feathers, bright, beady eyes and a curved beak. Great-Uncle Horace had rescued her when she was only an egg, and she’d stayed with him ever since.

  “It’s been a long journey back!” continued Great-Uncle Horace, stroking Kiki fondly.

  “Did you find an animal who needed a place to live?” asked Zoe hopefully. Whenever Great-Uncle Horace came across an animal that couldn’t stay in the wild any more, he brought them back to the Rescue Zoo. Zoe’s mind whirled as she thought about some of the creatures who had arrived at the zoo recently: a gorgeous family of arctic wolves; a pair of cheeky panda cubs; a fluffy baby polar bear. If Great-Uncle Horace had brought a new animal back this time, what would it be?

  Great-Uncle Horace laughed. “I certainly did, Zoe,” he replied. “Not just one animal – but three! Take a look inside that crate.”

  Zoe turned and saw a large wooden crate tucked securely at the back of the boat. She stepped towards it and peered through a gap between the wooden boards. All she could make out were three sets of dark, shining eyes. On her shoulder, Meep gave an excited squeak.

  “I can’t tell what they are!” Zoe cried.

  “Let me give you a clue,” said Great-Uncle Horace. “These animals are mammals, but they spend lots of time in the water.”

  Zoe bit her lip and thought. “Polar bears?” she guessed. “Or maybe … seals!”

  Great-Uncle Horace shook his head and gave a big smile. “They’re sea otters!” he explained. “Baby otters are called pups, just like baby seals. There are two sisters and one brother. I’m afraid they were orphaned when Russian hunters captured their parents – sea otters are often hunted for their fur, which means they are an endangered species, sadly. So we’ll give them a lovely, safe home at the Rescue Zoo.”

  “Otters!” said Zoe. “Like Otto and Benedict?”

  “Well, Otto and Benedict are river otters, my dear,” Great-Uncle Horace explained. “But these are sea otters. They need to live in saltwater, not freshwater. I’ve already sent a message to Jess, asking her to prepare a special area with a saltwater pool for our new arrivals to play in. I asked her to keep it a secret!”

  “Jess has seemed very busy this week – and very mysterious!” said Lucy, laughing. “Now I know why.”

  “I bet that’s where she was going when we saw her this morning – the new enclosure!” Zoe realised. “She’ll be so excited to have three new baby otters to look after.”

  “Let’s set off for the zoo right away,” said Great-Uncle Horace. “Our new arrivals have travelled a long way, and they’ll be tired and hungry. Perhaps you could help me with the crate, Lucy?”

  Zoe jumped off the boat and watched as Great-Uncle Horace and her mum carefully lifted the crate off the boat and carried it to the boot of the Jeep. On the drive back to the zoo, Zoe listened to the snuffles and squeaks from inside the crate. When Lucy and Great-Uncle Horace were busy chatting in the front, she twisted round and whispered quietly, “Don’t worry – we’re going somewhere really lovely. I think you’ll like it.”

  Once they reached the zoo, Lucy parked the Jeep right outside the new enclosure and they all jumped out. Jess was waiting by the gate, smiling. “Good morning!” she called. “Welcome back, Mr Higgins. I got your message about the new enclosure, and it’s all ready. I can’t wait to meet the pups!”

  “I think that makes two of you!” replied Great-Uncle Horace, winking at Zoe, who was grinning excitedly.

  The grown-ups lifted the crate out of the Jeep, while Zoe opened the gate using the necklace she always wore. It was a silver chain with a charm shaped like a paw print, which contained a special chip that opened all the gates and doors in the Rescue Zoo. It had been her best-ever birthday present from Great-Uncle Horace, and Zoe loved it. She held the gate wide open as the crate was carried inside and set down.

  “You’ve done a marvellous job, Jess!” exclaimed Great-Uncle Horace, and Jess gave a big smile. Zoe thought so too. There was a clear pool, with lots of big wooden logs piled up around the edges, and even some wooden ramps and slides for the otters to play on. Dotted around the edge of the enclosure were tall, leafy trees that offered plenty of shade from the sunshine. Waiting at the side of the pool was the red bucket Zoe had seen Jess carrying that morning, filled with shiny fish for the otters to eat, and a pile of colourful balls and other toys. “The water is the perfect temperature for sea otters, and there’s just the right level of salt for them,” Jess explained.

  Lucy unbuckled the straps on the crate and gently lowered one side. Zoe held her breath as there were high-pitched squeaks from inside the crate, and then a black snout appeared, sniffing the air. Next, a pale furry head, with whiskers and big, alert black eyes, followed by a sleek, dark body. The otter looked around at the enclosure, squeaked happily and trotted out of the crate.

  “That’s the oldest female,” explained Great-Uncle Horace.

  “She’s so cute – and so small!” whispered Zoe.

  A second otter followed straight after the first. “And that’s her twin brother,” added Great-Uncle Horace. “Otter twins are very rare, Zoe. I’ve never met a pair before. We’re very lucky to have them! They’re around a year old, I think.”

  Finally a third tiny face popped out of the crate, glancing around shyly. This baby was even smaller than her sister and brother. Zoe gasped as the little otter scampered out. She had bright eyes and scruffy, tufty brown fur, sticking up in all directions. Zoe thought she was one of the most gorgeous things she’d ever seen! “That’s the youngest pup, another female,” Great-Uncle Horace explained. “Just four months old! And she’s a little bit more nervous, so we’ll need to make her feel extra welcome.”

  Zoe watched as the two older otters made straight for the edge of the water. “Oh no! What if they jump straight in?” she said anxiously. “Will they be OK?”

  “Don’t worry, Zoe,” Great-Uncle Horace reassured her. “Baby otters are born knowing how to swim.”

  The otter twins plunged straight into the water, gliding underneath the surface before popping their heads back up and squeaking excitedly. Their little sister paused at the edge of the pool, watching them eagerly, although she didn’t look as though she felt quite ready to follow them. As soon as she’s settled in, I bet she’ll be jumping in straight after them! Zoe thought.

  “They love the water, don’t they?” said Lucy, smiling as the twins splashed and ducked.

  Zoe giggled. It seemed as though the new arrivals were feeling at home already!

  Chapter Three

  Zoe’s Special Task

  As Great-Uncle Horace, Lucy and Jess chatted about the otters’ diet and what special supplies Jess would need, Zoe crouched down by the edge of the pool. She wanted to say hello to the otters and explain that she was there to help them with any problems or questions – and she was eager to make friends too! While the grown-ups were distracted, she decided to take her chance.

  “I’m Zoe,” she whispered, smiling at the twin otter pups, who looked at her curiously and then swam towards her. “I live here at the zoo, in a little cottage close by – my mum’s the zoo vet, so her job is to take care of animals. And Meep lives here too. He’s a grey mouse lemur and my best friend,” she added.

  Meep gave a friend
ly wave. “Hello! Welcome to the zoo,” he chattered.

  “What are your names?” asked Zoe.

  The twins squealed back together, their eyes bright. “So you’re Nina and you’re Alex,” repeated Zoe. “But how can I tell you apart? You look so alike.”

  Nina squeaked and waved a furry paw in the air, and Zoe spotted a patch of paler fur. Glancing at Alex, Zoe saw that her twin brother didn’t have this extra marking, and nodded. “That’s a good way to tell you apart!” she said. “And what’s your name?” she added, smiling at the twins’ little sister.

  Shyly, the tiny otter squeaked her name. “Sasha! What a pretty name,” said Zoe. “Meep and I really hope you like your new home.”

  The twins squeaked eagerly, but Zoe thought Sasha looked a little bit bewildered. “Don’t worry, Sasha. This is a really nice place to live,” Zoe whispered, reaching out to stroke the pup. Unlike her sleeker sister and brother, Sasha’s fur was tufty and fluffy, and stuck up messily. Zoe thought she was so sweet!

  Before she could say anything else, Great-Uncle Horace, Jess and Lucy walked over to join her. “Aren’t they fascinating creatures!” said Great-Uncle Horace, beaming. “Did you know, Zoe, that otters have the thickest fur in the whole animal kingdom? Unfortunately that’s why they’re a target for hunters – their coats are wonderfully warm. They’re very smart animals too – sea otters often use tools like pebbles or rocks to open shellfish, just as we might use a tin opener to open a tin!”

  “Have you thought of names for them yet, Zoe?” Lucy asked.

  Zoe smiled. She always tried to find out a new animal’s name when they arrived at the zoo. Then, because she couldn’t tell anyone that she had spoken to the animal, she often pretended she had thought of the name herself! “I thought we could call the twins Nina and Alex,” she suggested shyly. “Nina has a light mark on one of her paws, so we can tell which twin is which. And can we call the little one Sasha?”