Wildlife Wednesday – Updates and a Newcomer

There is a story for today.  But I thought first I’d give you an update on the various critters at Wild Angels.  Everybody is in an outdoor enclosure at this point except for the two starlings.  They spend some time outdoors and some time indoors at this point.  The little stinkers still want Older Daughter to feed them some of the time.  They will eat on their own but they wait on their “momma bird” (older daughter) to feed them occasionally.  Older is working on this problem so that they can move permanently to an outdoor enclosure.

The little opossum is doing great.  She is soft and sleek and very healthy.  Older Daughter was saying how she especially hates releasing opossums.  They leave her healthy and strong.  But opossums just don’t have a lot of luck staying healthy in the wild.  Anyway – here’s the little cutie about to have a meal.

 

 

The last time I wrote about Wild Angels, I introduced you to two new raccoon babies.  One of these was very young when Older received him.  He had been in a person’s care along with his two siblings.  The two siblings had died, and a friend suggested sending the surviving baby to Wild Angels.  Unfortunately, this little guy died shortly after arriving at Wild Angels.  The other raccoon had been kept as a pet.  That one has now moved in with the two older outdoor raccoons.  She is doing really well and beginning to think of herself as a raccoon.  The five raccoons who had moved outdoors some time ago are all doing great.

 

 

 

I’ve written about a couple of Older Daughter’s releases coming back for a visit.  One of her doves continues to show up in various places in her yard.

 

 

And the wobbly raccoon, who is currently a mother of two, brings her babies to eat in Older Daughter’s yard. 

 

Very satisfying!

 

Now for the story of the day.  This one begins with YOUNGER Daughter.  One evening, Younger’s husband stepped out the back door to put something in a trash can they have out there.  Younger tells the story – He came back in calling for me.  “Hurry”- he said.  “There’s an opossum in our trash can and I don’t know if it’s dead or not but I can see babies!”  I went running out with him and there was the opossum lying on her side in the bottom of the trash can.  I nudged her and got some movement.  Sure enough, a few of her tiny pink babies had crawled out of the pouch and were lying on top of her.  (Older Daughter later explained to us that the opossum babies were still attached to mom.  They were too young to have released.  But the mom’s pouch was somewhat open and they’d moved partially out.)  I called my sister and told her what I was seeing.  She wasn’t home but she said to get the mom into one of her outdoor enclosures and she would tend to her the minute she got home.

 

 

So that’s what Younger Daughter and her husband did.  This mom opossum had managed to get into an empty trash can.  We still cannot figure out how she did this.  Crawling up the side of the empty can should have tipped it over.  But there she was at the bottom.  She couldn’t get out.  The heat had been terrible that day so this mom opossum spent at least some of that day trapped in a trash can in the heat.  Younger Daughter got a bowl of water into the enclosure.  She was hoping the momma would at least drink.  As they were walking away, she turned back and saw the momma opossum drinking.  What a relief!

Older Daughter checked on her new opossum as soon as she got home.  It was the squirrel enclosure that Younger put her in.  She had consumed almost all of the water in the bowl and then climbed way up into the squirrel house.

 

 

Older was able to check her over.  She was slightly dehydrated and she looked rough, but that’s how most mom opossums look in the wild.  She fixed a small doghouse with straw; oh how opossums love straw.  And she got more fresh water and some food into the enclosure.  The next morning, mom was cozy inside the doghouse and all of the food was gone.

 

 

This happened several days ago.  Mom opossum hasn’t made even one attempt to dig out of her enclosure or escape as Older moves in and out.  This momma seems to know that she went from hell to heaven somehow, and she isn’t looking this gift horse in the mouth.

See you next week.

 

Comments

[Ginny& the Fur Family]

This story is so great. Poor little o'possum mother. I am so thankful for all older and younger do for the wild life. I see dead moms on the road by our house and just hearing one is saved is a real blessing -God bless all the wild birds and furrys in the wild and hope they meet some to save them. It is a miracle what they do. Bless them.

[Maria in FL]

What a story!!! You have to wonder how in the world that opossum got into that trashcan, but boy, did she pick the right trashcan! Kudos to Older and Younger Daughter for saving this momma's life!

[meowmeowmans]

That's amazing about the momma possum in the trash can. Thank goodness for y9our daughters for saving her!

[John Bellen]

What a lucky break for that mother opossum. She could have ended up in anyone's trash bin. Now, as you wrote, she seems to know she is safe and will be cared for. I hope her babies all make it.

And I love the splayed toes of the little one in the first photo.

[Andrea and the Celestial Kitties]

I love updates! Seeing happy healthy babies growing up to be the wild animals they were intended to be is awesome! Good work daughters!

Remember, Wild Angels has no support other than those of us who donate on the wild angels facebook page, so help if you can! Takes a lot to feed and care for so many little critters!

Don't forget Winnie's Wish either, use the donate or wish list buttons and help if you can! and thank you!