It was a typical day at Ion Swamp for Hamp McClellan, a local conservationist who recently went out to find native reptiles and amphibians in his South Carolina community. McClellan’s afternoon was relatively uneventful, save for a few ratsnake and ribbon snake discoveries, until he suddenly came across something dark and fuzzy obstructing the swamp’s nature trail.
“I spotted what appeared to be a black void in the middle of the trail,” McClellan told The Dodo. “I had no idea what it was …”
McClellan was stumped at first. He could tell the lump was a mammal, and he initially thought it could be a baby fox, since he’d previously found one in the nearby woods. But as he got closer, the animal did something that immediately made him second-guess
his assumption.
“Before I could do any further thinking, it popped up and hissed at me loudly,” McClellan said.
It only took a few more steps for McClellan to realize that the fluffy mound was actually a baby river otter in the middle of a densely wooded trail. He began snapping pictures of the baby, assuming he would quickly run off. But the otter didn’t budge, which McClellan took as a sign he needed help.
“After taking my pictures and videos, I started to realize something was wrong,” McClellan said. “It could be one of two things … [either] the otter had rabies, which I found unlikely due to its behavior … or it was injured in some way, possibly a snake bite from a cottonmouth or a broken limb of some sort.”
Either way, McClellan couldn’t bear to leave the otter alone on the trail. So, he started reaching out to everyone he could think of — the Sewee Visitor and Environmental Education Center (SVEEC), where he volunteers, as well as local conservationist Parker Gibbons — until he finally got an answer.
Gibbons led McClellan to Keeper of the Wild (KOTW), a local group of wildlife rehabbers specializing in South Carolina mammals. As soon as McClellan called, he connected with a volunteer named Samantha, who knew just how to help.
Samantha was far away from Ion Swamp at the time, but she was willing to drive an hour and a half to meet McClellan at SVEEC — he’d just have to carry the otter off the trail first. So, McClellan got to work on capturing the scared otter, using a sweatshirt to protect both himself and the baby.
“I spent about 10 minutes trying to get him at an angle where I could throw the hoodie over him, and he spent that time making sure I didn’t do so,” McClellan said.
Finally, McClellan wrapped the sweatshirt around the otter and picked him up once and for all. As they made their way down the trail, the otter let out a few heartbreaking cries and tried clawing his way out of the sweatshirt. But after a few minutes had passed, the otter’s desperation subsided.
“He mellowed out pretty quickly and decided to accept his reality and go for the ride,” McClellan said.
You can watch the rescue mission unfold here:
Along the way, McClellan happily pointed out a few rogue ribbon snakes to the otter, who seemed unfazed by the discoveries. Still, the two were developing a bond. And when it came time to meet up with the rescuers who agreed to care for the otter, McClellan couldn’t help but feel a little sad.
“I said goodbye to my little friend …” McClellan said. “I had grown somewhat fond of him.”
It was a difficult but necessary farewell, as the baby otter was later found to have a broken leg — an injury he couldn’t have survived with in the wild. Thankfully, the otter went to the perfect place for care and has been thriving at KOTW ever since.
“I received … a text from Samantha with a picture of the otter, which she has now named Ion, informing me that he is now doing good,” McClellan said.
Ion the otter is well on his way to perfect health again and will return to the wild once he’s better. For McClellan, who only went out to find snakes that day, saving a baby otter was the farthest thing he had in mind. But he’s grateful to have been a part of the sweet otter’s rescue story anyway.
“I’m very glad that the events transpired the way they did, and I thank the Lord for the opportunity [to save him],” McClellan said.
