Rosa lives in Murrells Inlet, SC. On a Tuesday afternoon in early April she got an unexpected call from her friend, Keith! Keith explained that he’d found a baby otter that was looking very out of place in a nearby residential back yard. Rosa grabbed her friend Rob and together they drove down to see what they could do.
Keith had managed to catch Otto in an old t-shirt, and put him in a carpeted crate he had lying around. After a quick think Rosa decided they should take Otto to ‘Wild things’ A wildlife center 45 minutes South of their current location.
Otto asleep on his first car journey
At first Otto was nervous in his temporary new home, but he soon appeared to settle well. He was also very hungry, but quickly learnt how to latch onto a bottle of formula. Rosa has been allowed to visit, and has watched him come on leaps and bounds in only his first week!
“He has done well, and has learned so much in less than a week. I have visited him several times, and plan to continue to do so as long as he is at the rehab. ”
Rosa has also managed to collect donations for the center and has already contributed $500 in food and supplies with the help of the amazing local community. She even managed to get a bed load of produce from a local farmers market!
Produce from Lees Farmers Market
After a day or so Otto was introduced to a small pool, which he loves! His favorite thing to do is gather up his fish and lay them all out on a towel next to the pool. Impressive stuff, Otto! He’s also been learning to do the ‘Otter Trot’…
He loves to bark and makes so many cute noises! He also likes to crawl up in my lap and ball up in my arms where he cleans himself and goes to sleep. He’s mastering the otter trot, which is adorable! He likes to roll over for belly rubs too!
Although he’s doing very well in his new environment, the sanctuary want to get Otto back into the wild as soon as possible. They’re currently looking around the area for other otters that may have been taken in, hoping that Otto can pair up with them to learn how to be an otter! We wish you all the best, Otto!
And finally, a quick word from Otto himself.
Wild Things Freedom Center
Wild Things is run by Jeannette and Dale Oulette. They are a non profit 501(c) 3 wildlife rehabilitation center and sanctuary.
They work tirelessly to rehabilitate a wide range of animals, including: donkeys, raccoons, opossums, squirrels, wolves, a fox named Todd (Rosa’s favorite!), deer, a fox squirrel with brain injuries, hairless rats, hogs, chickens, horses, and a fawn named Doug. Quite an eclectic mix! Otto is their first otter.
Thanks, Rosa!
Thanks to Rosa for sharing this beautiful story with us, and for looking after Otto and getting him the help he needed. He’s very lucky you came along when you did!
Great story thanks for sharing Thanks to Wild things for all you do
Hi, Steve’s Biographer, you are doing a great job. Thanks for all you do.
Thank you for helping us share Ottos story!