Community / Pair to represent otter charity after success of Molly film
A COUPLE who rose to fame after starring in a film about their rescue of a wild otter have become ambassadors for a Devon-based wildlife charity.
Billy and Susan Mail will represent the UK Wild Otter Trust following the success of their film Billy and Molly: An Otter Love Story – which was released in the UK earlier this month.
The charity rescues, rehabilitates and releases otters in need all over the UK.
The pair were asked to be ambassadors for the trust after Billy nursed a wild, hungry otter cub – which he named Molly – back to health at their home in Shetland.
Speaking about why they decided to support the charity, Billy explained the special bond he made with Molly inspired him to team up with the trust.
“Since Molly entered our world we’ve become very aware of the fragile environment that some otters live in and how vulnerable they can be to scarcity of food during winter months, traffic, and the lack of suitable crossings on busy roads that traverse the habitats they move amongst,” he said.
“The UK Wild Otter Trust is respected for its knowledge and expertise and is an influential presence and voice for otters in the UK.
“We’d like to support it in any way we can to help promote the survival and well-being of the UK’s otter population.”
Billy said his life has changed greatly since meeting Molly, as seen in the documentary – which is available to watch on Disney+.
“Molly is a wee symbol of hope and an example of how humans can help wild animals in a time of need without interfering with the course of nature or having prior knowledge and experience of the species,” he said.
“She’s reminded us that the essentials of a simple happy fulfilled life don’t require the presence of material possessions.
“Meeting Molly has instilled in us a compassion for otters that didn’t exist before and the realisation that it’s not only otters that need human compassion and help in the UK but many other species – especially ones that are losing their natural habitat to human activity.”
Dave Webb, who is the founder and chief executive of the UK Wild Otter Trust, said he was thrilled about the new partnership.
“When we heard about Billy, Susan, and Molly’s story, obviously our interest was piqued,” he said.
“It’s not often that humans can – or should – interact with wild animals, and otters are far from the friendliest of creatures, so I was a bit hooked on the story to be honest.
“Billy and Molly’s story is absolutely fascinating and I was so excited I had a chance to chat with them about what we do here in Devon at the centre, and even happier when they agreed to be our new charity ambassadors.”
The UK Wild Otter Trust rescues cubs all across the UK and is seeing higher numbers than ever before of the animals needing human intervention due to habitat loss, flooding, and traffic.
Its contact details can be found on its website.
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