Reminder: please look out for wildlife when doing fireworks/what to do if you see injured or displaced wildlife
PSA fr a wildlife transport volunteer who is visiting family in Charleston rn/but who grew up here: If you are in a heavily firework area, this time of year can cause a lot of damage to native species. However you can help! If you see a displaced or injured opossum/squirrel/racccoon/fox/beaver/bird/deer please contact a local rehab group like Keeper of the Wild (or Palmetto Wildlife Rescue and Rehab if you are in Moncks corner to Cola area. If it is safe to do so, particularly if the animal is a non-rabies vector like an opossum, bunny or squirrel, wear gloves and place it in a dark cardboard box with airholes. Please DO NOT give it food or water. This can harm most animals that rehabbers help. Then call a rehabber (or if you feel unsafe, call a rehabber first anyway). If it is a rabies vector species like a raccoon or bat, please immediately contact a wildlife rehabber before doing anything. Please note: rehabbers are volunteers, so this as a free service in addition to daily jobs, and may take a little while to get back to you. They will need photos and potentially assistance in getting the animal secured. Likely they may ask you to meet a transporter at a central location. Please be willing to make their lives easier, and keep in communication. Also, DNR does not rehabilitate animals. It is not legal to move animals without a rehabber, but calling pest removal services that charge money (and often kill animals in question) may be unnecessary. Have fun, be safe, and help minimize damage to our native critters :)