Opossum in a garage...

Today we were called out to remove an opossum that had found its way into a garage, squeezing under a slight opening under the front door. 

It had made itself at home, probably venturing out during the night to do its 'possum-thing, eating slugs and snails and foraging for other edibles, which, unfortunately too often, includes pet food left out overnight.


Our technician, Michael Gunderson, is new to HWC and this was his first opossum capture. 
Rebecca is very knowledgeable and skilled in the proper and humane techniques for handling wildlife so she gave me a crash course on handling an opossum. 
After locating the animal, Michael gently restrained it behind the head and around its shoulders and gently lifted and carried the marsupial outside. 
The animal remained calm and relaxed, as did I, so it went without a hitch and it was released unharmed on site. 
It's days like this one that make me really enjoy working with Duane and Rebecca. They share the same concern and passion for wildlife and conservation as I do and always put the safety of an animal over everything else.  
Of course, it would've been ideal to release the opossum during the evening but that's just not always practical. At least it's on its own turf where it is familiar with obstacles and what to avoid. It's really awful for animals that are relocated - taken far away and dumped, which is illegal in California, and for good reason.

Check out the video:






A sweet story

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