So my smart husband gets home from his road trip, and hears the great baby opossum rescue story and says, if there's more, lets catch them in the chipmunk trap. (The chipmunk trap is an exercise in futility we experimented with a few years ago, it seems they spontaneously generate so trapping them is futile.)
We baited the trap with bananas and apples and set it by the hole under the porch. It took all of five minutes for the door to clang shut behind two hungry orphans.
I put them in a big barrel with food and warm blankets.
We reset the trap.
Snap.
One more hungry orphan.
Reset.
Snap.
Two more.
Reset and repeat, one more.
Reset.
I peep into the hole and see two tiny eyes watching me and the trap.
Probably wondering where everybody went.
Cautious guy took an hour to succumb to the smell of bananas.
Husband happily worked on the firepit while he played rescue guy.
We kept the trap out until bedtime, but no action.
Grand Total = 7.
Holy crap.
Look at them, cute little buggers. They love the mashed bananas, applesauce and baby rice.
They were hungry.
My daughter has decided opossums are her new favorite animal and she wants to volunteer at the wildlife rescue now too, on top of the animal shelter and the hospital. She was thrilled to have three at a time eating out of the spoon. I imagine they like huddling up together under a blanket, safe and warm.
The girls at the rescue are going to love me.
I grabbed their wish list yesterday, so I'll come back bearing gifts besides babies.
Now that I know how much work and mess these little guys are, I can't imagine what their day is like. Bless their big hearts.
I hope the lone sibling at the rescue is happy to see the family.
I'm happy my husband helped out, and we saved these little critters.
I can't imagine the horror and the smell under my porch if we hadn't.
And I really, really hope we got them all.
There is never a dull moment around here, that is certain.
In other nature updates, the robin nest now mysteriously contains only 3 eggs and no sign of hatching yet.
We're still hoping.
Have a great weekend.
Ha! That was a neat little story. They do look pretty cute.
ReplyDeleteI called the rescue to give them a heads up that I was bringing in 7 more babies and to be sure I was doing everything right. She said the first one is doing fine, and wasn't lonely because they have a lot of them. I asked how many was a lot and she said I don't know, 30? Make that 37 :)
ReplyDeleteAw. So much life going on.
ReplyDeleteHa!! Still, I suppose s/he'll be glad to see her/his siblings. They're pretty darn cute. They look creepy as hell once grown, but I think applies to just about all creatures when compared to their infant stage.
ReplyDeleteThat is sooo sweet! What a great husband you have to help out.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what opossums are good for - but it sure seems right to help them out. Where do they go from the shelter?
Hi liv, the shelter releases them to the wild once they're old enough. I think they are good for bug and worm control and maybe carrion eating? And by the way, we just caught 9, 10 and 11, their new names. Another trip to the wildlife shelter, hooray.
ReplyDeleteHow great is that? And you just got three more? Wow! You are really the Rescue Mom! They sure are cute...
ReplyDeleteOh yay! Best story ever. Love your smart hubby. 9, 10 & 11? Holy moly!
ReplyDeleteLooks like you have been busy! I have never seen baby possums! I have never even seen a grown-up possum! These are cute little things, but I agree they should be released into the wild when they are old enough!
ReplyDeleteGreat pics! And good for you for the rescue. Though as a friend of mine who is a wildlife rehabilitator once said, "Possums are the worst. You stay up all hours feeding them and taking care of them and as soon as they're big enough to release, they go and hurl themselves under a car."
ReplyDelete