Otter pup revived by CPR, reunited with family, after choking on net in B.C.

RCMP in Alert Bay off Vancouver Island's northern coast say a young otter, shown in this undated handout photo, has been reunited with its family days after it was revived via CPR after being found entangled in a fishing net. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Alert Bay RCMP

Police in British Columbia say an otter pup has been reunited with its family after it was strangled by a fishing net, then revived with CPR.

RCMP in Alert Bay off Vancouver Island’s northern coast say one of the residents who found the otter showed “remarkable composure and compassion” by getting the animal to start breathing again.

Police describe the July 28 rescue in a news release issued after the otter was reunited with its family in the wild, after time in a wildlife rehabilitation facility.

It says residents had heard sounds of animals in distress on ‘Namgis Dock, finding three pups tangled in a net that had been left on the dock.

Two were quickly freed and swam to their mother, but the third pup had net tightly wrapped around its neck and had stopped breathing, prompting a rescuer to performed CPR.

Police say officers took the pup to the rehabilitation facility where it made a full recovery.

They warned residents not to leave nets on the dock due to the risk to wildlife.

“This incident serves as an important reminder that properly securing and storing fishing gear can help prevent unnecessary harm to animals and protect the wildlife that makes our community so special”, Sgt. David Ribeiro-Pereira of the Alert Bay RCMP says in a statement.

This report by Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press, was first published Aug. 11, 2026.