OPOSSUM FACTS:
Copyright © 2005 - Laura Ledet - All Rights Reserved
"BLESSED, BITTERSWEET, RELEASE"
"Many have forgotten this truth. but you must not forget it.
You remain responsible, forever, for what you have tamed."
--- Antoine de Saint Exupery ---
But can't I keep just one? They are SO cute!!!
I can tell you so many stories of darling little baby possums who turned into little
hissing alligators almost overnight. What happened to that sweet little guy who
cuddled under your neck just 2 days ago you say??
Ok, shame on you.....you shouldn't have been cuddling with a baby possum who no longer
needs to be hand fed in the first place. That is not your job as a rehabber
and you are making a grave mistake with your little charges by doing so. They NEED
to fear people and other animals in order to survive out in this sometimes cold, cruel world!
If you have an overly tame litter, try to get them to another rehabber to wild up.
That often is all that's needed to do the trick.
I hear from people ALL THE TIME who kept a baby possum they found and as adults they
are no longer what these folks signed on for and they want to know what to do with them.
Adults can become snappy, especially in my experience, males, and especially during
breeding season. And those teeth can do a heck of a lot of damage!
Ok, so now that I have delivered my "politically correct" speech,
lets get on to the business of release.
The time has come. You've done your job and now it is time to let those little ones
go to live the life they were meant to live; Wild and Free.
It seems to me that as the years go by, release gets a little easier (for the most part)
but, I don't think I will ever be able to stop praying and worrying over how they all are doing.
Such is the life of a rehabber I guess.
You have put all your blood, sweat, tears, and a lot of sleepless nights into raising up healthy babies
so you need to also carefully plan on the best location to release those babies!
Before you let them go, here are some things to check:
HEALTH CHECK:
Are their ears and eyes nice and clear? Are their gums and nose nice and pink? Have
any injuries or infections completely cleared up? Have they been
de-wormed and de-fleaed?
ABILITIES:
Can they catch insects you have offered them and do they eat them? Can they run and
climb well? Have they learned to make nests with dead leaves and other natural
materials you have offered them? Are they eating whole foods; diced up
vegetables, protein, cat kibble etc?
RELEASE SPOT:
Yes I know, possums are everywhere (as evident by the many we see squashed along
side the roads). This does not mean however, that it is in their best interests
to release them just anywhere.
The best spot to release opossums would be an area that has several acres of wooded
area, with lots of underbrush to hide in, near a natural water source (such as a
creek, or river), away from any major roads and as far away from humans as possible.
I would not suggest releaseing in high altitudes, in colder climates, such as up
in the mountains where the winter temps drop dramatically and snow is
abundant. And I always spread food around the release site, just to tide them
over the first day or two. You might want to check and make sure that the area
you have chosen is not legally open for hunters.
BASIC NECESSITIES FOR THE REHABBER
