Opossum Watch

Gita's Release

2008-04-29T14:49:00.000-07:00

Gita was released yesterday afternoon. She has been in Rehab for almost one month.
She gained weight and was ready to go. When I went to release Her She flew out of the cage and Into the woods. It was very comforting to know that She will have another chance at the wild Life She deserves. I tried to get a snapshot or two, but She was just too quick to disappear. Now The Babies have at least 3 more weeks to go before their release.
Thanks to Andrea, who has allowed me to release Opossums on Her property way out in Sandy Mush, far from any roads, and with a nice pond for water.
Stay tuned for more updates.

More Baby Pics

2008-04-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pic's of Gita's Babies They are doing just fine. They are finally emerging out of the Box and exploring the cage. They seem to be eating just fine and they are very active ( A good Sign during rehab ). Gita was so happy when I separated Her from the Babies, She is free now to Move around without 10 little critters in Her pouch. She will also gain weight faster, so She can Be released soon. The Babies look a little nervous because I had to open the little box and it Disturbed them. They are eating a complete diet of dry kitten food, along with assorted fruits And veggies. They love apples especially. Soon I will introduce them to chicken bones so they Can get the feel of scavenging in the wild. Most important their main nutrition comes from the Nutritionally complete kitten food. Babies especially need to have a balanced diet to help them Develop properly, just like any other animal. They can be released when they are 11 inches long, Not including the tail, or one pound in weight, these little fellas have a long way to go yet.

Stay tuned for more updates.

More Rescue Babies

2008-04-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a weekend. I got a call to rescue another Baby Opossum.
A Lady was mowing Her grass and spotted some little creature in the clippings. She stopped the Mower and went to investigate, and it was a very small "Chrome " Baby.
She contacted the Nature Center and they referred Her to me. The Baby was very dehydrated And skinny. I placed the baby with " Gita " the Mother Opossum that was rescued on April 1.
Gita immediately took in the little fella and it began nursing right away. This morning the Baby Looked much better and I expect it to make a full recovery, within 6 weeks.
As soon as I hung up the phone, another call came in. This time it was a larger Blackjack Baby who was just abandoned on a young couples front porch. It seems to be in good health with the Exception of being underweight. This little Lad is doing fine as of this morning and also I expect a Full release within 4-6 weeks.

Visitors----
Yesterday while cleaning Opossum cages, my Friend Diana King ( Owner of Edible Arrangements in Asheville, in the Sams Club shopping area ) came by with Her Niece & Nephew to see the Baby Opossums.
We had a great visit, the Children asked many questions about Opossums, and seemed to really enjoy the time.
Stay tuned for photos of the Babies, hope to post them tomorrow.

More Photo's of Gita's Babies

2008-04-17T07:05:00.000-07:00

Gita's Babies come out of the Pouch

2008-04-17T06:58:00.000-07:00

Gita's babies are ready to experience the wild world. They are finally emerging from the pouch and resting on Mama's back.

After they all came out we saw that there were actually ten babies not eight.

In a couple of days Gita and Her crew will move to the outside enclosure, currently She is in the house during these chilly nights.

Gita looks sort of like a pig in this photo, She has that swine look to Her face, and that pot-bellied pig look.

Stay tuned in for more updates about Gita.

North Carolina's Largest Opossum

2008-04-16T14:51:00.000-07:00

http://www.mountainx.com/guides/pets/012308possum

Read this interesting article about " Pepper "
North Carolina's Largest Opossum

Opossum Education

2008-04-16T12:26:00.001-07:00

Eight year old Sidney Miller ask questions about Gita's care & habitat.

Sidney Miller is full of energy & questions, especially when it comes to wildlife. Sidney spotted this information flyer about Gita, and just had to ask about Her.

"Does She bite " Sidney ask ? That's the most common question we get. " Only if you bite Her first " I replied. I gave Sidney a brief educational session on Wildlife and Opossums.

Sidney is the daughter of my co-worker Larry Miller.

Gita and Her 8 Babies

2008-04-16T07:30:00.001-07:00

Meet Gita.

Gita is approx one year old Virginia Opossum ( Blackjack ) She was abused by a group of Teenagers who kicked Her in the face and stepped on Her toes. She was rescued by a Neighbor and then taken to the Nature Center who sent Her on to the Vet for a checkup. Gita will be fine, She just has a few cuts and abrasions. She is very underweight and is nursing eight little babies. We will keep Gita for about a month to increase Her weight and give Her a good head start back into the Wild & Motherhood. Keep visiting this site for weekly Gita updates, along with photos of Her babies