A Hiker Found an Injured Otter in South Carolina: His Rescue is a Lesson in Wildlife Safety
It can be very tempting to help wildlife that appears to need help when you’re out in nature or even in your backyard, whether it’s a baby that seems abandoned or an adult that seems injured, but doing so without proper guidance from wildlife officials can lead to a lot more harm than good. Babies can be abandoned because of our scent, or adults can become accustomed to humans later leading to their death.
This case from Hampton (@hampgecko) is a great example of how to actually go about assisting wildlife. In this case, Hampton was walking along the I’on Swamp Interpretive Trail in South Carolina when he spotted what appeared to be an injured otter in the middle of the trail. Instead of immediately attempting to rescue it, he left it alone and decided he’d call a wildlife official if the animal was still in the middle of the trail when he returned.
The otter was still there when he got back, so he called up Keeper of the Wild, a non-profit dedicated to the preservation and rehabilitation of South Carolina’s wildlife. The wildlife specialized asked Hampton to attempt to bring the otter to the trailhead where they would meet him and he did quite successfully.
This river otter appeared to have a broken leg, and according to Hampton’s later updates will likely be okay within a month or two. The big thing to note is that Hampton didn’t attempt to touch, pick up, or even really approach this otter too closely before calling people who know a lot more than him, and that’s a great move to follow. If you find what appears to be wildlife in need of assistance, call your local wildlife officials before you do anything to the animal. Stay back, leave it alone, and let a professional guide you on what to do next (if you even actually have to do anything next).
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