From possums to raccoons, Beaufort Co. woman rescues baby critters others won't touch
All the locals know to keep an eye out for alligators as soon as the azaleas start to bloom.
But they're not the only Lowcountry critters that reproduce when the weather turns warm.
Cheryl Crosby Phillips received a call from a Bluffton family earlier this week after they'd found an abandoned baby opossum in their backyard.
Phillips took it in. She'll take care of it until it's big enough to live on its own and then she'll release it like she's done so many times before.
It started when her daughter brought home a raccoon years ago, she said.
"I ended up raising him and fell in love, and have been doing it since," Phillips said.
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She's not a licensed wildlife rehabilitator like some of her friends, but Phillips is a well-known rescuer in the area. She mostly raises raccoons, squirrels and opossums.
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources doesn't recommend rescuing these species because they can "serve as rabies vectors" and transmit other diseases and parasites to humans and household pets, their website says.
But Philips said she — and other local rescuers — are as careful as possible.
"We have to be smart about what we pick up and what we put our hands on," she said. "The licensed rehabbers are all vaccinated, so when I see something that's questionable, I call one of them."
Phillips said rehabbing the animals is a lot like raising an infant. She hand-feeds them puppy milk formula every two hours using a baby bottle or a syringe.
"The raccoons are like a bad toddler," she said. "They get into everything. You lose them, and then you'll find them in a drawer somewhere. Or your stuff will disappear and you'll find it where they sleep."
The opossums take a little extra care as well.
"The big thing is to keep them warm and snug, because they're used to being in their mom's pouch," she said. She keeps them wrapped in blankets and on heating pads.
She says you should call a rescuer if you spot a dead opossum because it could still have babies in its pouch.
Phillips said anyone who finds a baby animal that needs help can give her a call at 843-247-7120. They can also call one of the licensed rehabilitators listed on DNR's website.
She says Spring is when she gets the most calls.
Sometimes, the babies are just fine.
A baby raccoon screaming from the top of the tree might sound pitiful, but its mom is probably nearby, she says.
"The moms leave them up there in the tree to try to make them come down" when they want to change locations, Phillips said.
It's when you find one alone on the ground that it's an issue.
"Then there's a threat of dogs or ants getting it, and it needs to be picked up," she said.
But be careful if you do find one, she says.
"Don't handle anything with your bare hands," Phillips said. "If there's a question (on whether the animal is sick or needs help), call one of us. We're all pretty quick to answer and respond."
This story was originally published April 3, 2018 at 4:12 PM with the headline "From possums to raccoons, Beaufort Co. woman rescues baby critters others won't touch."