A baby river otter in British Columbia, Canada, survived what seemed like impossible odds after a group of strangers refused to look away.
Even more remarkably, the rescued pup later responded to a whistle from one of its caretakers and helped lead humans back to its family.
Here's what to know
What caught resident Robin Quirk's attention in Alert Bay was something she initially took for "a wet sock" on a dock, according to CTV Vancouver Island. Instead, she found a baby river otter that had been pulled from the water after getting tangled in a fishing net alongside two other otters.
Retired logger and fisherman Gordon Mellish said the smallest was in especially bad shape. The baby otter "was wrapped so bad, it was motionless, and his head was hanging in the water," he told the publication.
After cutting the other two free, he went back to the pup, which "didn't look like it was going to survive."
That was when Mellish turned to CPR, a technique he had used on people before but never on an animal.
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"I wrapped my mouth around its mouth and nose and gave it a breath of life," he said.
Once the pup began breathing again, Quirk focused on keeping it alive until it could reach professional care. She built a makeshift shelter from materials nearby to shield it from birds of prey, then cared for it overnight with expert guidance before taking it to a wildlife rescue center.
Why does it matter?
Quirk said the trip to the rescue center brought out a maternal instinct in her.
"You know how if you can't get your baby to sleep, you take it for a drive?" she said. "Well, the otter slept the whole way."
She whistled a lullaby she had made up for the animal during the ride.
After roughly a week in rehabilitation, the otter was released back into the wild with help from Quirk and Mellish.
"Before (the otter) went to go swim away, she turned back [and] looked at me," Mellish said. "We made eye to eye contact and then [she] swam away."
A video of otters near the area later prompted Quirk to return and try the same whistle again, according to CTV Vancouver Island.
The rescued pup appeared first. Soon after, two more babies came into view, and then their mother showed up too.
"We reunited the family!" Quirk said.
What's being done?
Discarded fishing gear can pose a danger to animals in the water. In this case, a tangled net nearly killed three otters before bystanders intervened.
"A life's a life no matter what it is," Mellish said.
Quirk added, "It's a maternal feeling. You're responsible for this life."
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