But when I went to help with wildlife rehab after the hurricane, suddenly they were in my world. And last week, I learned to clean their cages. That was.... interesting.
Above is a baby possum, which I cropped so he'd look big enough to see on blogger. They're vulnerable little runts at this age, aren't they? When they grow to be about 9 inches from their nose to their bum (not to the end of their tail) they are big enough to be released.
Possum aren't ugly but they aren't cute either. They're definitely stinky little buggers. I thought it was their poop but I've read the musk glands behind their ears are to blame. They burrow underneath the newspapers, so to clean I often was waking them up, and none of us like that.
There is a short baton of sorts that you have to keep in one hand to keep them back while you quickly remove their food and water dishes and grab up the soiled newspaper. Now, the baton is just a stick that you hold at an angle so it's a bit of a barrier between you in case they should strike. Most of them just sit in the back corner of the cage with their wide mouths open (a shot I didn't get); while this might be their "I'll scare you" gesture, it looks more like a toothy, goofy grin! Once thick layers of fresh newspaper is installed we can quickly return their water and food, close the door and their nap can be resumed.
At the rehab center, we endeavor to save the lives of sick or injured creatures and when they're ready, release them safely back into the wild. But I often wonder if the things we need to do seem more like alien abduction to them. A big face peers in, a giant hand comes to lift them up, and make funny noises at them in a language that is not even close to their own. I do my best to move slowly. I keep fairly quite (or coo in a way I hope communicates calm and peace). I remember that I'm doing these things for their own good and just hope it's not too stressful.
But then there are the guys who like human interaction. While you don't want to imprint them to humans, so they can stay wild and survive once released, each animal really does have a personality, and some just like people. Of the dozen or so we have, this one is very curious about you and has no problem with you cleaning his cage. Here he is, stepping forward to say hello.
Above is a baby possum, which I cropped so he'd look big enough to see on blogger. They're vulnerable little runts at this age, aren't they? When they grow to be about 9 inches from their nose to their bum (not to the end of their tail) they are big enough to be released.Not all are in the center due to injury or illness. In fact, most possum are from people who find them in their yard and bring them in simply because they don't want them there. Guess when Granny found them out by her ce-ment pond she decided to keep 'em -- in her soup pot!
The wildlife rehab center never turns an animal away, but cares for it until they can return it to nature -- usually via the land of private, licensed rehabbers who volunteer to take animals in that predicament, so they can live long lives in their natural habitat. You have to appreciate that these folks do it with little or no pay, and get supplies to keep going through donations (if not entirely out of their own pocket). This is why it's so fantastic to support the people and places that do this work. It really is an labor of love.
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6 comments:
Had a possum once, actually a whole family, who lived in my neighbors yard and would often come into my yard. They don't appear to be very fast and I would worry that the young ones would be caught by my dog.
Called the Animal Control and they told me that this was there home and really shouldn't be moved. When I explained about the dog they then said they would relocate them.
I feel bad about that, but that's what dogs do. My dog wanted to play and unfortunately, he gets too rough.
We have possums running around in our yard sometimes. These ones in your pictures are so cute!! They have little piglet faces. You're right about their alien experience - didn't think about that before. :)
In NZ possums are considered pests and are culled. :(
In Australia they are protected and are not allowed to be touched!
Funny isn't it, in an ironic way.
I just think that they are cute and cuddly, I had a pet one as a kid.
We have big ol' possums here and they are pests. I don't know where they are in the daytime but at night a couple will walk along our fence and eat the fruit off our neighbors tree. They also dig up our lawn something awful. Not sure what they are digging for. Our dog chases them off sometimes, but sometimes she sleep right through the invasion!
Okay not feeling the possum love like you Sydney. We had one trapped in our attic once and we did not sleep for a few days. We had someone humanly trap the noisy fellow/fella and set it free. Dumber than a box of hair those possums are.
Thanks Sydney for writing this up and for explaining the Wildlife Rehab place (another great gift idea from you!). I am glad you pointed out the different personalities within the species (is it species? I might have term wrong?)
I was home alone late one night. A door in the front room opened out onto a deck that was 15 feet or so above the ground. The deck didn't have steps up from the ground or any easy access from the outside. I heard someone walking out there. Moving furniture. Clomping around, but softly, as if they were trying to be quite. I was terrified. It had to be someone about to break in to my home. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself, and peaked out through the blinds to see a huge possum edging his way all around the deck, looking for food or lost, I do not know. I was very happy to see him and took his picture, which I might also have done had it been someone breaking in.
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