This week's update will be a smattering of news bits, with photos, of course!
David Crowie
David Crowie healed and is released! Shortly after that photo was taken, he flew off and joined his flock. What a relief for all involved parties! He arrived in November with a wing droop and a foot issue. After a course of anti-inflammatories, a shoe for his foot, and lots of good meals, he started to perk up. When he was able to jump up to a perch, I knew it was time to take him back to his home. He heard his family calling, hopped around the perch some, and took off. Thank you, Sandice Thrasher, for all your help and for rescuing him. I hope he comes back to visit!
Big brown bat
This poor male Big brown bat was stuck to a glue trap for days. Several people ignored his frantic cries and panic, until Jesse of AWL wildlife removal and management took pity and rescued him. It took many sessions to free him from the glue, which coated his wings, face, and torso. I used vegetable oil and a human grade adhesive remover to facilitate that. Then I gently washed them off with Dawn dish soap.
Sadly, he had lost blood flow to the outer membranes of his wings and they started to disintegrate. I tried to make him as comfortable as possible, but he was too far gone and passed away.
Glue traps work by entangling the live animal, and are meant to hold it in place until it dies of dehydration or injury. Snap traps, which kill instantly, are considered more humane. Glue traps don’t discriminate. They catch and kill birds, snakes, insects, bats- anything that comes in contact with them. Glue traps aren’t baited so they don’t attract specific targets.
They are sold anywhere from grocery stores to home improvement stores, but should be banned for their indiscriminate and inhumane methods.
This bat was gentle and tolerant of my handling, never trying to bite me or fight what I was trying to do. Bats are intelligent and personable mammals, and important members of a healthy ecosystem. Every effort should be made to treat them with care and respect. There are other solutions, such as exclusion, to deter bats from roosting in houses.
Blossom and Big Brother
Blossom and Big Brother went to what I hoped was an ideal soft release site. They’re getting so big! Winter is not the ideal time for release, but spending 3 additional months in captivity doing nothing but eating and sleeping doesn’t help their chances at survival.
This site has a nice enclosure with straw filled beds, fresh water, and the homeowner supplies food daily. I wanted to give them a safe home base where they could return after wandering the woods.
However, Blossom turned out to have tail tip injuries which needed to be treated, so I brought her back.
Big Brother is coming back, too, after learning that the property is already home to several large, food-hoarding raccoons.
Meals for marsupials
Everyone eats well around here. I love making up new meal ideas for the opossums using foods they may find in the wild, as well as store bought ingredients.
Blossom is enjoying a dehydrated heart, full of taurine and other nutrients they need. One meal this past week was chicken livers, grasshoppers and crickets, bok choy, mandarin oranges, and cracked walnuts.
Dog attack opossum
This adult lady hates me and confinement so much I have to wear Kevlar lined gloves every time I handle her. Once she got over the pain and shock of being attacked and shaken by a dog, she was NOT a willing patient.
This made administering antibiotics and cleaning her cage challenging and traumatic so I had to get creative. It turned out she felt safe in the carrier, so I used that inside the hospital cage and carefully closed the door when I cleaned. Her medications went into some yummy vanilla yogurt.
She’s completed her two week course of antibiotics and will be released, much to both of our delight, in her home location Monday.
Fundraisers and wish lists
People have been so generous and supportive of the work I do. Madison County Ace hardware lets me place a donation box and display by their checkout counter. I recently received over $50 from that alone! The Giving Tuesday fundraiser on Facebook raised over $700, which will go towards buying a third incubator through the Baby Warm program, this winter.
People who want to show their support through goods have been purchasing items from my Chewy wish list, and Amazon wish list. Both are accessible at the top of the page.
I’m so grateful for the support and appreciation Primarily Possums receives.
That’s it for this week. I’ll be at the Bear Hollow Zoo “Deck the hollow” holiday market this and next weekend, selling crocheted opossums (made by me!) and opossum story books written by my friend Gina Gallois. You can purchase your own at https://moonflowerpress.com. People ask me which one is my favorite- I love them all! Angry lady will be released Monday, Big Brother comes home Tuesday, and all four will be moved to a new enclosure for some exploration and enrichment. I’ll update you on little paralyzed boy’s condition and how Winky is healing, next week. Thanks for reading!
