10 opossums saved from mom's pouch

palm beach post ^ | Sunday, May 19, 2002 | By John Pacenti, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

[Sungirl]

RIVIERA BEACH -- Not satisfied with saving people from burning buildings and fetching the occasional cat up a tree, Riviera Beach firefighters made an unusual rescue Saturday.

It started when firefighter Chuck Reeves noticed something strange about a dead opossum in front of Station No. 4 on Military Trial just north of Blue Heron Boulevard.

"It looked like the belly was moving," Reeves said.

So with the help of a fellow firefighter, Reeves carefully cut the abdomen of the opossum to save 10 baby opossums.

Reeves then called fellow Riviera Beach firefighter Donnie Poole, who does animal rescue work on the side, to pick up the critters and rush them to Treasure Coast Wildlife Hospital in Hobe Sound. To keep them warm, Poole turned his jeep's heater on full blast.

"I'm down to a lightweight," Poole said, joking. "I was dying trying to keep these little guys warm."

Poole said that despite their appearance, he has found opossums to be sweet animals.

Dan Martinelli, director of the Treasure Coast Wildlife Hospital, said the firefighters actually removed the babies from the mother's pouch. Opossums, the only marsupials native to North America, have pouches like kangaroos in which they keep their young after birth.

"With any luck, they will eventually be released to the wild where they belong," Martinelli said.

john_pacenti@pbpost.com

[Sungirl]

KUDO'S to the guys!!

[Lady Jag]

Animal lovers are the best! I had a close encounter with an opossum in my backyard around dusk. I was lying on the lawn and the little thing sneaked up and gently touched me. I touched it back and its fur was some of the softest I've ever felt. We parted friends, confused but friendly.

[pad 34]

Poole said that despite their appearance, he has found opossums to be sweet animals.

Taste Great too!!

[martin_fierro]

Riviera Beach is no place for a respectable 'possom to raise her kids.

[Sungirl]

That's strange that it let you touch it.....but they are supposed to be very sweet animals.
That's a nice memory to have.

I used to have an neighbor who would raised raccoon babies....they were his pets (amoung other things...haha)

[HairOfTheDog]

Possums are hideously ugly things... but almost all babies are cute, even possums. I woulda saved em too.

I had such a funny morning once with a baby possum:

I put the dogs out to go to work one morning when I noticed one of my dogs had run out and was very interested in something in the back yard. I went out to check it out, and here was this dead possum. Thought the dog had killed it... Well, I didn't want the dogs to have it, so I picked it up with a shovel and dropped it over my fence into a vacant lot next door. I was wearing heels and a skirt for work, so I didn't want to do much more with it, though I considered putting it in my garbage can.

Went back in the house to pick up and go, and I'll be darned if the little thing hadn't slipped under the fence again and was meandering across the yard again. It had been "playing possum with me, and the dog!"

I let the dogs back in and went out to try to scare it away, and the darn thing took one look at me stomping at it and fell over "dead" again. I laughed so hard.

I picked it up with the shovel again and dropped it over the opposite side fence, since it had obviously wanted to go that way before our rude interruption, but I was amazed at having actually witnessed them "playing possum". It was really believably dead. Even had its mouth part open and was stiff and lifeless.

I can see now why they end up dead on the side of the road all the time. Playing dead just is not a good defense against an oncoming car!

[Sungirl]

Riviera Beach is no place for a respectable 'possom to raise her kids

Hahaha....I hear ya.

[Sungirl]

I let the dogs back in and went out to try to scare it away, and the darn thing took one look at me stomping at it and fell over "dead" again. I laughed so hard.

HAhaha..that is funny!

[Cagey]

You'll enjoy this, Sungirl.

Help.......I found a baby Possum

[Sungirl]

Thanks...that was interesting. I would never have thought about rescuing babies from the pouch......

[andysandmikesmom]

Good afternoon, Hair, that was a great, great story...I always thought that 'playing possum' was a myth, but now I know better...

[boris]

Aren't they just basically big marsupial rats with long tails? I mean, about as wholesome and sanitary as a rat.

--Boris

[Lady Jag]

We have had people in our area who have had raccoons as pets. I guess they're only good for a year or two before they need to go back to the wild. They're not too trainable and once they learn to open doors, everything in your house is fair game, including all your food even if it's just for a taste.

I'll remember to show you the painting of me nose to nose with a yearling deer when I've finished it.

[Sungirl]

What's your point?

[Sungirl]

I like your nick. Do you work for them or feed your animals that?

[Lady Jag]

Science Diet is what my cats used to eat till I bought too much of it. Back during the lewinsky thing I was rummaging for a screen name for FR and my eyes saw the bag of cat food. Well, that sounds scientific I said to myself, and a screen name was born. Thankfully I'm not signing on now while my cats are eating Bench & field!

[Lady Jag]

I've had pet rats and found them to be the smartest, friendliest and cleanest of pets. A good rat beats a hamster or guinea pig any day, like the difference between Einstein and Afred E. Neuman.

[green team 1999]

good thing janet reno did not find out.
or would send 150 federal agents to deport the animals.