A baby otter on the verge of death was given a second chance at life by dog walkers who heard his cries on the banks of a nearby river.

Otto the otter was taken by a father and son from a river bank in Duncombe Park in North Yorkshire, England, to Wildlife Haven Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre where he is being nursed back to health, reported The Daily Mail Online.

When Otto was found he was severely underweight, dehydrated and completely exhausted. At only six weeks old, Otto should still be feeding off his mother, but his caretakers said it's been a while since he did so.

"We don't know whether something has happened to mum or if he has gone on a bit of an adventure on his own, but when he came in he had been off his mother's milk for some time," Krista Langley, who runs The Wildlife Haven from her home in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, told the Daily Mail.

Right now Otto is too young to live on his own, but the rescuers at The Wildlife Haven plan to release him in about a year when he is strong and capable of being independent.

So far he's making a remarkable recovery. Watch this video issued by The Wildlife Haven that captures a happy Otto playing at the rescue that is saving his life: