Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Pinky Opossum

So we kept Pinky Opossum outside in a nice warm box all night, hoping that she'd make it. This morning she was still alive, but not doing well.

Luckily the web is an excellent resource, and from this site I knew what to do.


We put Pinky in a box on top of a warmed rice pad (under some towels), and let her warm. Yes, Pinky is a she ;) I tried to feed her some Gatorade, but no dice. So I put in a couple of lettuce leaves. Opossums are omnivorous- they eat pretty much everything AND they help in gardens by eating rodents, slugs and snails... Opossums became my friends instantly!!


Baby opossums are born a couple of weeks after conception, then they are the size of a honeybee when they are born- upon which occasion they move to mama's pouch to suckle. Apparently they can be in litters of up to 13! After a couple of months, they have grown hair and migrate to Mama's back, where they hang on for a while, before dropping off, having grown too heavy.
We suspect that our Pinky had JUST migrated to Mama's back and was not yet ready to be alone.


After warming her, we called the wildlife rehabbers in the area, who suggested we call a local vet.
I waited a bit before telling DH that I thought the vet should see her- Pinky is still wobbly when walking. She definitely perked up after warming her up though!! DH called the vet, who does wildlife pro-bono (the reason I have posted their site ;)), and he took Pinky in there.
The vetinary assistant even thought Pinky was little, and told DH that they would need to keep her for quite a while.
Since Virginia law states you have to be a Licensed Wildlife rehabber to keep wild animals, we wont get her back :( But I rest assured that Pinky is now in the best of hands, with a good chance of survival!!
And just in case you wondered... "Why Pinky?"
Pinky and The Brain

6 comments:

  1. Awwww how cute!!!! Back in the fall I was scared to bits when I, unwittingly stuck my head in a bucket of cat food in our garage that also contained a full-grown opossum. The bugger kept coming back and getting into the food no matter how tight we stuck that lid on. Hopefully he'll find another woman home alone in the middle of the night to scare the pants off of.

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  2. LOL- you probably scared him too :) Opossums are opportunistic feeders- they'll take the easiest food ;)

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  3. I'm so happy for Pinky! And love the name, we are fans as well. :o)

    I've considered getting the training for wildlife rehabilitation. Maybe when the kids are older.

    Thank you for taking care of the little sweetie! What a wonderful lesson for your daughter!

    Peace and Laughter,
    Cristina

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  4. It was a fun lesson for them both- but DD probably learned more- she was disappointed not to keep Pinky :) I still say she looks like Pinky from the show- and yes, I watched it as a kid (well teen) and loved it :)
    I thought the same thing about the rehab- maybe when the kids are out of the house and I am bored ;)

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  5. Those are great photos. I'm so glad she perked up a bit and has a brighter future.

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  6. Oh, how adorable! Wonderful of you to take good care of Pinky!

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