BISHOPVILLE, S.C. — A new facility in Lee County is helping wild animals in need of rehabilitation, lessening the load for rangers at Lee State Park. Black Creek Wildlife Center is partnering with the park to offer help and education to the public.
“Momo is a striped skunk that’s native here to South Carolina, and she is full grown so she’s not gonna get any bigger than this,” Director of Mammal Care Holly Sellars explains.
Momo is just one of the animals that Sellars is able to help with Black Creek Wildlife Center, which is now serving Lee County and surrounding areas with its satellite campus.
“With us being so close, if there is an animal that is in the area, we can jump in our car and go help that little animal very quickly,” Sellars shares. “We do birds of prey such as owls and hawks and eagles and vultures; and then we also do mammals. We do reptiles like snakes, even venomous snakes we’ll help out with. We've even gotten calls for frogs and toads and stuff, which we’ll help with as well.”
Previously, Lee State Park Interpreter Laura Kirk says she would have residents bring in animals that were hurt.
“I've taken a number of wildlife species in that the public has brought to us,” Kirk says. “So for years and years, I've been here at Lee and a lot of the general public thinks that park rangers can rehabilitate animals. And we actually for the most part can’t because you're required to have a number of licenses and trainings, which Black Creek does have.”
This means Kirk would have to drive the hurt animal all the way to Columbia or even Charleston to get help from professionals.
“And I would drive there the whole way with not talking, no radio because that will, you know…wild animals are not used to that and it's going to scare them and stress them out even more,” Kirk details.
But now, Black Creek is here to help.
“It's a lot easier on the residents,” Sellars explains about the benefits of the new center. “Especially you know some of the older residents I just can't make that drive any further.”
The center, which initially started in Hartsville, is partnering with the park to offer the Critters of the Carolinas program. Sellars and Momo come to the park along with other animals to educate residents for free.
“My favorite part of education is probably just being able to see the kids and parents light up with excitement whenever they see me get excited about the animals,” Sellars shares. “You know, mostly having those kids just see them, get used to them, and know that this is an okay thing to have in your backyard and how to stay safe if they see it.”
The next education class will be on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and then from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at Lee State Park’s Environmental Education Center.
“Since [the class is] inside and controlled and there's professionals around and it's, you know, we're not in the middle of the woods,” Kirk starts. “I think it calms a lot of their worries down so they're more able to pay attention and learn about the animals.”
“But I think the main takeaway that I want them to have is just knowing how to stay safe whenever they're out and also having that appreciation,” Sellars adds. “So whenever they come to an education show of ours, I really do hope that they leave with the appreciation and a different outlook on the wild animals that they meet.”
The wildlife center is also looking for volunteers and interns to help out with the work. Additionally, it’s taking donations ranging from fresh vegetables to old towels to help serve the animals.