Ok.
Another lesson learned...the hard way!
When relocating a possum from your henhouse,
make sure you give him a very long ride to his new home.
Otherwise....
he will return.
Yes, ole Solomon knew a good thing when he saw it,
and made the trek back to the henhouse.
I found him yesterday morning as I was cleaning out nesting boxes.
What a surprise!
I wasn't expecting to see a creature with fur staring back at me as I bent over
to clean this box!
But there he was, and none to happy to see me, either.
I'll spare you the details, but I captured him again in a garbage can,
and hauled him at least a mile down the road.
Sammy was quite interested in the smell emanating from the can.
It was all he could do to not chase this little fellow as he hobbled into the woods.
I feel absolutely awful about this.
You see, I must have hit his little hind foot
when I was trying to get him off of the back of the nesting box,
because he limped as he ran into the woods.
Seriously, friends, I felt horrible knowing that I had hurt his little foot!
Hopefully with time he will heal and be ok.
"So sorry Solomon!"
Even though opossums are about the creepiest of our local critters,
I still hate to see any harm come to them.
These little scavengers are actually omnivores who will eat just about anything...
including chickens (bones and all!)
They truly are the sanitation workers of the forest.
Did you know?...
Opossums are the only marsupial in North America.
(carrying and nursing their newborn in a pouch for 2-3 months)
Opossums have a very short lifespan...2-4 years.
(they have many predators)
Opossums are comfortable in trees and stabilize themselves with their tail.
(they do not hang from trees by their tail, however)
Opossums are placid.
(despite the 50 sharp teeth they show when confronted)
Opossums lived during the dinosaur age!
If you are completely fascinated by these facts,
you may want to join the National Opossum Society!
Yes, Virginia, there is such a thing!
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; ) Kris