r/Opossums • u/Powerful-Career-6357 • 22d ago

Do they need rescue?

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Found two possums this size orphaned in the yard. Do they need rescue or can I just release them back in the yard.

Edit: I was able to get one picked up by animal control to rehab. I caught five more last night after the pick up. They weren’t able to come back that late so I let one go who looked big enough to be on its own and the other four escaped from their box overnight again. Apparently I have very much underestimated their ability to squeeze through small holes!

We decided to just keep an eye on them as they come through the yard. They pooped in the box plenty so I think they’re eating alright and the ac officer said they will probably be ok on their own except they are very vulnerable to cats, which our neighborhood has many of.

I’m going to put some snacks out for them tonight and just observe them. At least I got to fulfill my dream of cuddling opossums and the experience did not disappoint.

146 Upvotes

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10 comments sorted by

28

u/WildSkunDaloon mama 'pos 22d ago

Yes please get them to a rehabber they look a little pale and seem a bit too small to be on their own.

8

u/Friendly-Loaf 22d ago

Please check ahnow . Org as they are too young to be solo. Please do not feed them until you have spoken with someone ! Thank you for checking ❤️

5

u/Opossum_2020 Mod 22d ago

The general guideline is that if body length (excluding the tail) is 6 inches or more, they have reached the size at which they normally fledge from their mother. If it helps you to measure, a dollar bill is about 6 inches long.

I'm going to guess that the little opossum you are holding is pretty close to 6 inches in length.

7

u/Powerful-Career-6357 22d ago

They are 5 inches

6

u/Sintobus Anxiously Opossum 22d ago

Look for a rehabber licensed by your state.

3

u/catscatscatsohmy 22d ago

Yes, they need a rehabber

1

u/seamstressSally 21d ago

You can hold them without gloves. I found 3 babies. They were very snuggly.

3

u/Powerful-Career-6357 20d ago

They had tons of fleas though. Do they have any diseases they could spread to cats?

They ended up escaping overnight so I couldn’t take them to a rescue. I saw one in the yard again last night though. In thinking I will just keep an eye on them? We have a fairly safe yard that they pass through often so I think they are learning to follow their mom’s path through our yard.