Wildlife Wednesday - Desperately Cold Christmas

Hello Friends!  I’m not normally posting Wildlife Wednesdays to my blog in December.  Older Daughter’s Wild Angels Wildlife Rehab is at its busiest in the Spring and Summer with lingering issues into the Fall.  But today I’m going to write about a desperate situation with an old opossum and a Christmas weekend straight from the Arctic.  Our temperatures here in southern Illinois have been in the 30s for highs and the 20s for lows for many days now.  But tomorrow night an even deeper cold front is supposed to descend on us bringing the possibility of some snow.  That’s not the problem, however.  This is the problem – our temperatures are supposed to plunge into the single digits with wind chills that are predicted to take us to 15 to 25 degrees below zero.  This is the kind of weather that makes me so sad for all of the cats and dogs who live outside.  For the most part, however, I don’t worry as much about the wildlife.  I know they are equipped to handle Winter.  I also know that (unfortunately) this kind of cold is one of Nature’s ways of culling the weak and the old.  I know it’s natural.  But I don’t have to like it.

This past Saturday, Husband and I decided to brave the cold and go to a place on the property where a tree had fallen.  Some of you might remember (from years ago) my stories of “Fairyland” when my daughters were little.  It’s a place on the bluff above the river where wild daffodils bloom each Spring.  Well this tree had fallen directly onto the area where those thick daffodils will try to come up.  Broken branches and sticks littered the area.  Husband and I planned to remove the tree – Husband would chainsaw it into small pieces and we would pile the pieces AWAY from Fairyland.

We took the side-by-side (which was VERY chilly on that 30-something degree afternoon).  It’s a couple of miles from our house to this spot.  As you approach the bluff, there is a tree line that separates our family’s land from the neighbor’s.  As we topped a small hill and were approaching the bluff, I was glancing into the tree line.  Suddenly I realized that I’d seen an animal.  I hollered above the roar of the engine for Husband to stop.  I jumped off the vehicle and started walking back down the tree line.  I was sure I’d seen an opossum.  The sighting had been quick, but the image in my mind informed me that this was not a young healthy opossum. 

Husband and I walked the tree line and even into a thicket for at least 20 minutes and did not find the opossum.  As we were working on the fallen tree, I was telling Husband that I’d only gotten a glimpse of the creature, but that it definitely did not seem right.  My mental picture was one of an opossum with fur that was way too sparse and body condition way too thin.  Our nights were in the 20s but I knew by the following weekend (Christmas weekend), we’d be below zero.  If my glimpse provided me correct information, this opossum wouldn’t make it through Christmas weekend.

We finished our work and decided to ride down the bluff and along the river in spite of the cold.  As we started back home (a different way from how we’d come), I told Husband to go back the other direction and let me check one more time for opossum.  And lo and behold, there it was!  This time I had Husband stop the side-by-side way back, and I slipped out and started towards the opossum.  I was quite a distance away (its back to me) but I could begin to see that this opossum did not, for sure, have enough fur for the weather that was coming.  My guess was that this must be an old one – skinny, and with thinning fur.  It was snooting through the leaves trying to find something to eat.  But before I could get close enough, it turned and saw me and started walking into the tree line.  We lost it again.  This time I was determined.  I told Husband to hurry me all the way back home and let me get my cat trap.  When we got there, I grabbed my trap and some canned cat food and we headed back.  No opossum.  So I set the trap and we left. 

When Younger Daughter got home from work, we took our walk and this time we walked the road to Fairyland.  It was a long walk but I was SO SO hoping that we would top that last little hill and see the opossum in the trap . . .

But no.  I was really disappointed.  I had explained to Younger Daughter on our walk that this opossum was not in a condition to survive the upcoming holiday weather.   We walked back home and I started feeling quite concerned because I figured that since this opossum had encountered people two times in a row in this spot, it might not return.  That means it wouldn’t end up in the trap.  It would probably move on.

Husband drove back to the area just before dusk.  No opossum.  I knew I’d missed my opportunity and that I wouldn’t get another chance at this guy.  I sent dry dog food with Husband when he went to pick up the trap.  I could only hope it would come back one more time, discover the food, and maybe the next day I could set the trap again.

So on Sunday, just before lunch, Husband and I jumped on the side-by-side and made the very cold trip to Fairyland.  As we topped that last little hill, my heart stopped.  There it was.  I could see it way up ahead, in the very spot where the dog food had been left.  I’d brought the trap but I was afraid if we scared this guy off a third time, I’d lose him forever.  So we shut off the side-by-side and started walking.  Husband would cut through and get on the other side of the tree line.  I would walk towards the opossum and try to grab it before it disappeared.  If it got into the tree line before I could get it, Husband would be on the other side and try to run it back in my direction.  I started towards it, and it headed for the trees.  Husband raced to the other side.  He stepped towards it and it stopped and I reached down and grabbed that tail.  I HAD IT!! 

I pulled it out of the trees and placed it carefully into the trap.  I pulled out my cell phone and called Older Daughter, hoping I would have enough signal to get through.  She picked up and I told her we were headed her way.  I had told her the story the day before so she was thrilled that the opossum was in our custody.  We made our way along the river and turned north to Older Daughter’s home.  She met us at the door.  We got it out of the trap and Older assessed its condition.  It’s a female.  Old (teeth are very worn down).  Too thin.  Fur WAY too thin.  And a couple of sores on her tail.  Older put her in a carrier and said she’d get her all set up in a large crate with soft bed, food, and water.

 

 

The first night that this gal was cozy in a crate in Older Daughter’s house, she ate everything in her bowl AND drank every drop of water in the water bowl.  Older put an empty kitty litter container in the crate with two soft towels inside.  She feels safe in there and can now begin to recover from her dehydration and near starvation.  And the best thing of all is that she won’t be outside in the EXTREME weather headed our way starting tomorrow night.

 

 

 

I couldn’t be happier.  Merry Christmas little opossum!

 

 

Comments

[John Bellen]

I too feel that nature must have its way of weeding out the sick and weak but, like you, I dislike it. That is, after all, why mankind created civilisation, so that the weak and old and sick wouldn't suffer and die. I'm pleased that the old girl will be warm and safe for the holidays and, if she hasn't long to live, her last days will be filled with comfort and food. A very nice Christmas gift for her.

[Kimberley Koz]

Bless you for all you do for the wildlife. When we lived in Southaven near a cat colony I would set up winter homes for those who stopped by regularly. We would tent the back patio and add heat lamps and straw. One year I took a photo of a baby raccoon napping on the sofa under a heat lamp. And a opossum would always take a nap inside one of the cat houses before sauntering off for the night. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Kimberley Koz and the Wonderpurr Gang

[Andrea and the Celestial Kitties]

Poor old girl! I'm sure glad you are persistent! I bet she's happy to be warm and snug and well fed! God Bless you and your family of Animal Rescuers! You all rock!!!!

Friends, Wild Angels, Chrystal's older daughter, has no funding except what wonderful people might donate on their facebook page. Please give them a great Christmas boost and make a donation!

Same goes for Winnie's Wish! Any donations or wish list items would make a wonderful Christmas Gift to the Wishers!!

Merry Christmas everyone! Happy Holidays! And a Wonderful New Year to all!

[John Bellen]

A merry Christmas to you, Chrystal, and to your family, both human and animal. A happy Yuletide as well to the inhabitants of Winnie's Wish and Wild Angels. I think that old opossum will have her best Christmas yet this year.

[Ginny & the Fur Family]

This is a story that perhaps was meant to be. A very angelic Christmas story. A one in a million chance and you all took it to catch this poor old lady possum. I have never seen it this cold at Christmas at - o degrees. It got to 24 today and the ice and snow is everywhere. My stray cat house with the heating pad must be working. My 3 porch cats came out to eat and in minutes the water and food is freezing. Prayers for all the poor outside creatures and birds. Yes we still have some sparrows and wrens and others will just set out in the bare trees and we have cedars out back . We are having some more snow Monday morn early. Thank god for the Parker family and Wild angels.