Riverkeeper discovers hundreds of dead chickens discarded in SC river

LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) – A South Carolina riverkeeper came across a strange sight Tuesday afternoon: hundreds of dead chickens floating in the water.

According to information from Hugo Krispyn, a riverkeeper for the Edisto River, hundreds of rotting chicken carcasses in feed bags were left near a bridge at the North Fork area of the river.

The dumping spot is located near the county line between Aiken and Lexington counties.

Krispyn said in a Facebook post that when he first approached the carcasses he believed it was a fairly routine littering incident before realizing what the strange floating mass actually was.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) is looking into the incident, according to Krispyn. The chickens do not fall under the category of ordinary littering, as it is a crime to dispose of animal carcasses in a waterway in the Palmetto State.

Dead animals in river water could spread disease for those who rely on rivers for drinking water.

It is unclear at this time who is responsible for putting the chickens into the water or where the chickens came from.

WIS News 10 has reached out to SCDNR for comment and they responded saying:

“Our officers initially responded Tuesday and then contacted the S.C. Department of Environmental Services, which is the regulatory authority in this matter.”

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