Billy & Molly: How a wild otter changed one man’s life forever
From National Geographic and Silverback Films, ‘Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story’ is a heart-warming story of love and the unlikely friendship between a wild otter and a man living in Shetland.
When a wild otter in desperate need of help washes up on his jetty in the remote Scottish Islands of Shetland, Billy, his wife Susan, and their devoted sheep dog Jade found themselves with a unique new member of their family.
After premiering in March 2024 at the South by Southwest festival in Texas, the film had a successful run across various film festivals and has now become an award-winning film that is nominated for 6 Critics Choice Awards. After its release on Disney+ in the UK in November 2024, Billy and Susan Mail have truly captured the hearts of the nation with their story.
We had the pleasure of speaking with Billy Mail about the making of Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story, his remarkable bond with Molly and the lessons he learned from the experience…
Q. For those who haven’t yet seen the film, could you tell us about your first encounter with Molly and how the story started?
A. We live right by the sea and one day I was looking out the window and saw an otter fishing nearby. She would catch a crab, take it up onto our floating jetty in front of our house, eat them, and repeat. Curiosity got the better of me and I wanted to see how close I could get to a wild otter, so I went and sat right where she was coming out of the water. As luck would have it, she came out of the water with another crab and ate it right in front of me. She stopped midway through, looked me right in the eye, then went back to eating her crab – and that wasn’t normal, she should have scarpered by that point!
She headed along the pontoon towards the shore, and I followed her slowly and as she turned and looked at me, I could see she was really thin. Her bones were showing through her skin so she must have been hungry. I decided I would leave some fish out for her, and it disappeared. I went to put more out for her one day and she popped up out of the water right in front of me – I think it was at that moment she realised where the fish was coming from. I spoke to the Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary and explained what was happening, and they said that it was fine and to continue but to try and not domesticate her and whatever I do – don’t let her inside the house!
Q. So what inspired you to share your story with Molly in a documentary? How did the filming of it come to happen?
A. It was never planned! At the time, we were building an extension on our house, and I had a guy over helping me do the groundwork when Molly turned up – he was so shocked! I told him the story and he said his friend, Charlie Hamilton James, was really interested in otters and would love to see this. I said he was more than welcome to come and so he travelled up from Bristol and spent a lot of time in his wetsuit filming her in the sea. He loved her and came back a second time, and it was only then that I discovered who he really was – one of National Geographic’s top photographer and filmmakers! He phoned one day to ask if he could make a film about Molly. My initial reaction was to say no chance, but after speaking to my wife Susan, we decided to just go for it and see what happens.
Regarding the content, I think a film about a man feeding an otter would be quite boring by day 5! Charlie and I spent a lot of time talking about life and sharing stories – I’m the type of person who enjoys getting to know folk on a deeper level. We both spoke openly, deeply and honestly about the good, the bad, the happy and the painful moments. While they were making the film, Charlie used some of this information as he saw the potential to make a slightly deeper story. There was a lot of trust and cooperation involved but I’m delighted with how it turned out.
Q. It was also nice to see that your wife, Susan, narrated the film – what made you decide this and how did both meet?
A. We met in Aberdeen. We both worked in the Oil and Gas industry when our paths crossed. Although our jobs were good fun, enjoyable and fulfilling, they were fast-moving, high-profile, and high-pressure. Life moves fast and I remember thinking if I get 10 years down the line and I look back at a life lived like this, I will regret it. So, after many discussions, Susan and I left our jobs, and we moved back to Shetland – we love it here. Charlie’s initial plan was to have someone else narrate the film. Then one day, he asked Susan if she would mind recording a little bit, and – although terrified – she agreed and she was an absolute natural! He set up a little recording studio in the spare room and it all just fell into place.
Q. Throughout the film there are so many lovely scenes of you and Molly – can you describe one of your favourite memories with her?
A. I think it’s impossible to choose just one! She was quite young when we met her – she was very curious, playful and possibly a bit lonely. If we were sat outside having a cup of tea, she would come along and lie on the grass nearby us or sometimes she would curl up and go to sleep. It was like she enjoyed being around us. She liked playing too – I would sometimes kick a ball, and she would run after it and investigate it.
The most special moment for me I think was when we realised she was pregnant. The goal with Molly was to feed her, get her back to full health so she could continue being a wild otter. The realisation that my actions had allowed this wild otter to make it through the winter and then to go off, get pregnant and have her youngster was the most incredible thing. I had been involved in that whole circle of life and helped to make it happen – it was immensely satisfying!
Q. Did your dog Jade and Molly get along?
A. It’s important to emphasise that dogs and otters don’t mix very well, and to be honest, Jade wasn’t really that interested in Molly. She didn’t hate her or anything, she just didn’t want to play with her. In the film, you do see a couple of interactions between Jade and Molly. Molly would sometimes follow Jade out of curiosity and have a sniff, but Jade never took interest in Molly unless she tried to take her ball – then it was different story!
Q. At the end of the film and as you mentioned, we see that Molly ends up pregnant – did you ever give Molly’s pup a name and do you still see them nowadays?
A. I called it Chip – it was so cute that it reminded me of the little teacup from Beauty and the Beast and it can also be either a male or a female name, so it stuck! We still see them occasionally especially during the winter when food is harder to come by, but she is completely wild and only ever comes past for a bit of fish. She actually came by the house this morning and so we left some food out for her.
Q. Throughout your journey with Molly, did you ever learn anything about otter’s that you were surprised by?
A. I’ve learned so much about otters, but what particularly surprised me is that they are incredibly intelligent and sociable creatures. They like to socialise with each other and families will often play together. Another thing I found interesting was that I made the perfect little cosy house for her to have her baby in – but did she have it there? Of course not! She went up into the hills, took over a rabbit’s warren and had her baby in there. So even though I made the perfect nest for her, her instinct and nature were so strong, and she had her baby where otters typically do. It was also refreshing for me to realise that we hadn’t inadvertently domesticated her, she was still as in tune as a wild otter should be!
Q. I read that you and your wife Susan were named as ambassadors for the UK Wild Otter Trust – how did this come about and what does it involve?
A. Charlie knew the founder of the UK Wild Otter Trust, Dave Webb, quite well. We had spoken with Dave a few times to make sure what we were doing with Molly was okay. When the film came out, none of us ever thought that it would become as big as it has and Dave was delighted as it was a fantastic platform for raising folk’s awareness of otters. Dave invited us to come along side and become ambassadors for them. It’s a great platform that we can use to help others learn about otters in the UK, their plights and how people can help them – particularly during winters when it’s cold and food is scarce. We are happy to help out in any way that we can!
Q. Lastly, what would you hope that viewers would take away from watching the documentary?
A. Firstly, I just want people to enjoy the lovely little animal that Molly is and to see the beauty of Shetland. However, there is a deeper message in there – one of them being that you can make a difference. Whether it is feeding the birds during winter or feeding an animal that looks hungry, just do what you can. There are several organisations in the UK that can give you advice and guidance should you need it. On a really deep level, I think that the film is laced with love and compassion. In a world where there is so little love or compassion, there is such a contrast between what’s happened with Molly and what’s happening in the world. There is no badness in the film – it’s just lovely.
Q. So what’s next for you? Do you have any other projects on the horizon?
A. I am actually working on writing a book about my whole experience with Molly. I was always going to write something personally just to document the entire story as it is so special – but then I got approached by a few publishers who were interested. I am currently in the process of writing it and getting it all down on paper, so it won’t be out for a while – but it’s a work in progress and hopefully won’t be too long until it hits the shelves!
‘Billy and Molly: An Otter Love Story’ is available to stream now on Disney+.
By Amy LeithBorn and raised in Aberdeen with an admiration for Orkney and Shetland, loves to travel and visit new places, enjoys cooking, always listening to music, spends a little too much time on TikTok.
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