A Successful Opossum Rescue

Baby opossum will exhibit the same defense mechanisms as an adult when frightened: they growl, they show their teeth, they arch their back, they drool, and they will even play possum. But as ferocious as they think they are, all those 50 little teeth really don't have much power behind them.

You can easily cup your hands around the babies, (wear leather gloves if you're at all concerned), or use a towel to wrap around them to move them. However if you decide to pick up the babies, they need to get warmed up quickly.

One of the quickest ways to warm the babies is to wrap them in a towel, then place the towel on your stomach under your shirt, with your hand resting on top of them, just as if they were back in their mother's pouch. If that's not an option, wrap a jar of hot water in a towel, put it in a box, then place the babies all wrapped up in their towel up against the warm jar.

Once everyone is warm and settled in the box, set the box on a heating pad set on LOW. Contact an animal clinic or a wildlife rehabilitator, immediately. You may need to transport them to a clinic yourself, however a wildlife rehabber will usually always come out and pick them up for you.

Adult opossums can be rescued safely by using a blanket as a scoop. The procedure is the same as rescuing adult squirrels, except that you should definitely use a blanket doubled-over (not just a big towel) because the animal is so much bigger. Just put on some heavy leather gloves, set a box on the ground next to the opossum, then scoop him up in the blanket and put it all in the box. Generally, the opossum will not move once it's been put in the box, but be sure to secure the lid tightly, just in case. Then transport the animal to an animal clinic or contact a wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible.