Hooray for babysitting! I spent multiple wonderful days with Maggie Haden’s adorable babies and enjoyed every minute of it. I got to babysit them twice! Soon we will be hands off so they learn to be wary around people and strange things. Two releases happened in the meantime as well,and I’ve included an update on Biggler and Littler.
Marzipan
Marzipan is one of the “porch ‘possums” at my friend Heather’s house. She makes sure they have safety, clean water, and food when they need it. In the winter she provides cozy houses. Marzipan is one of many who seem to enjoy her company- she sits outside with them, talks to them, and some even let her pet them! Heather runs a domestic animal rescue called Vincent’s Place Sanctuary, in the next county over. She is doing wonderful things, please check her out!
Where did he go?
Marzipan had been a regular visitor for over a year when he disappeared for a month this spring. When he returned, he was very thin, missing large patches of fur, had a broken canine, and his back and sides were marked with partially healed wounds. He was slow moving and weak. She trapped him easily, moving him into a carrier and securing him before calling me.
My motto is: contain first, ask questions later. You can release an animal that turns out to be fine- you will probably never see that old, sick or injured animal again. Always use your best judgement with YOUR safety in mind, and take precautions with gloves.
What happened?
My guess is that he was out foraging and ran into a large predator and was attacked. His wounds on his flanks and neck are consistent with being grabbed sideways in a predator’s mouth. Gravely injured, I believe he holed up someplace and waited to heal, or die. He didn’t eat for a long time, but survived on rainwater.
Time to get help
When he wasn’t in as much pain perhaps, or felt it critical to go home, he made his way back to safety. Heather quickly contained him and called me.
A long vacation
Marzipan was here for months! It took a long time for him to heal with the help of pain management, weeks of antibiotics and topical wound care. It was obvious those injuries were still causing him pain and he was scared. Once he was a little healthier I started a course of deworming. I had to do a 3 week course twice, his poor body had so many roundworms in it. Opossums are very susceptible to internal parasites and can have them in their stomach, heart and lungs. Some parasites encyst themselves into the walls of their organs. It’s tragic. I didn’t overload his body with calories at the beginning- that can cause something called refeeding syndrome which is just as deadly as malnutrition itself. He slowly gained weight, his wounds healed, and he became parasite free.
Time to go home
One other reason he spent so much time here is the weather. When he was ready to go home, it became dangerously hot and dry here in Georgia. Releasing him could have been harmful. Then we experienced a week of torrential downpours! The weather started to balance out, but thunderstorms kept us from releasing every night for a week. Finally, he went home for good!
The second round of opossum joeys has started making its way through the area. Baby squirrel season has started and it’s always cottontail rabbit baby season. Sadly, hunting season is also open for them.
I am so lucky to be working with new local rehabbers Kassidy Osborne, Josalyn Snyder, Maggie Haden and Scarlet Lewis! I am so proud of all you are doing, and so grateful. Stepping back this year was scary as I didn’t know who would step up, if anyone. You all came through and made a difference.
Nikki Hughes of Camp Critter took on so many challenges and weights this year and I am so grateful for her, and so amazed at her strength, character and resilience. I am honored to know and work with her.
The Greater Athens area is a great place to be now if you are an injured or orphaned wild animal. We wish there wasn’t such a need that it took 7 rehabbers to handle, and even then we had to turn some away.
We need safer streets and neighborhoods, a stop to rampant habitat destruction, the removal of toxic bait, and lots of education before this will get any easier.
Loose dogs and cats- that’s another very sticky problem.
2025 Sabbatical