Stephanie Brady received a call about a small critter stuck at the bottom of someone’s drained pool on a chilly day in April. Brady, the owner of the Amarillo, Texas-based Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (WWWRC), hurried to the house where she had received the call. She discovered a newborn opossum inside that had almost completely blended in with the plaster of the pool.
The infant could not scale the slippery pool wall. He has fought there by himself for a few hours.
He was damp and chilly. On that particular day, it rained, and the temperature was slightly below freezing. The young opossum needs to become dry and warm instantly. Brady was fortunate to have heated seats in her vehicle, which kept the opossum comfy.
She brought the opossum to Wild West Wildlife, where he underwent more testing and received medical attention. Brady claimed that he eats well. She claims he is just a tiny nugget. The infant should be prepared for release once he gains a pound in weight.
In contrast to raccoons, deer, and other mammal species, Brady notes, opossum moms typically don’t return for their young after they have fallen off. Opossum mothers can give birth to up to 13 young at once. She appears not to notice if one of the babies falls off because there are so many of them clinging to her back as she wanders from place to place. The infant was alone because of this.
Wild West Wildlife provides care for more than 500 rescued opossums each year. They advise waiting for the rescuers to arrive if you find an abandoned opossum.
The little opossum will be released into the wild when he is old enough. Brady is always willing to provide protection when she and other babies need protection. Let’s hope he has a better life in the future!