Pawleys Island beach gets a rare visitor, but officials warn not to get too close
A lethargic young otter was spotted in the surf and walking around the shoreline on Pawleys Island beach Monday.
Officials say people should not try to assist the otter if they see it on the beach and to contact Pawleys Island police.
Clay Siau, who caught the otter on video, and his family were on the beach just south of the pier when they saw the otter.
“I have been going there all my life and have never seen an otter on the beach until then,” Siau said.
S.C. United Turtle Enthusiasts went to the area and reported the otter was lethargic in the surf.
Jeff McClary, with SCUTE and the Marine Mammal Stranding Network, said the animals can carry rabies and people should not attempt to help or put the otter back into the ocean.
“Although they are cute, they are a wild animal that will bite you,” he said.
The otter, which appeared to be young, is no longer in the area and officials are unsure where it went, said Wayne McFee, a research wildlife biologist with NOAA. He said it is rare for an otter to be on the beach and likely came from the creek area, went across the dunes and made it onto the beach.
McFee advises folks to call the S.C. Department of Natural Resources hotline at 800-922-5431 if they spot the otter again.
This story was originally published April 10, 2019 at 12:17 PM.
