A male river otter is recovering at a Northern California wildlife center after being struck by a vehicle and suffering head trauma and swelling around the brain, the organization caring for him said.

The Solano Wildlife Rescue and Education Center said the otter was found in the roadway early Friday near Leisure Town Road and Foxborough Road. The center described the incident as a hit-and-run, though no driver was identified in the available information.

The otter had no broken bones or fractures but suffered an abrasion on his chin and was receiving pain medication, Amy Pedrioli, the center's founder, told the Los Angeles Times.

The center expects to care for the animal for seven to 10 days while the swelling subsides. Before he can be released, he must be off medication for at least 72 hours and show normal behavior in the wild, including eating and responding appropriately.

"He needs to show us that he can eat and be an otter before we can let him go," Pedrioli said.

The river otter suffered head trauma and brain swelling but had no broken bones and could be released in seven to 10 days if he continues to improve, rescuers say. (Solano Wildlife Rescue and Education Center )
The river otter suffered head trauma and brain swelling but had no broken bones and could be released in seven to 10 days if he continues to improve, rescuers say. (Solano Wildlife Rescue and Education Center )

The center posted photos of the otter on social media and is seeking donations for his medical care, rehabilitation and transportation.

A commenter on the center's post said her daughter found the otter around 1 a.m. near a roundabout between Leisure Town and Foxborough roads and stayed with him until animal control arrived.

River otters are active year-round and mostly at night, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. They live in rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands, estuaries and coastal areas and can travel over land between waterways.

The agency says river otters are found in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin drainage and delta. The River Otter Ecology Project, a Bay Area nonprofit, says the animals can serve as indicators of watershed health because their presence and condition may reflect pollution, habitat loss and other environmental pressures.

The road where the otter was injured crosses several waterways used by the animals, Pedrioli said. The center said it had never before cared for a live river otter, although it received two deceased otters last year.

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This article originally published at Northern California river otter treated for brain swelling after alleged hit-and-run.