Baby Possum

by Steve Creek on August 2, 2008 · 14 comments

Possum_7429

I found 3 baby possums in my yard but the mother possum was nowhere around. The sad thing is that all three later died. The baby possum above was very sick when I discovered it. It had a bad eye that looked infected. (Not shown in photo).

My photos are available for license at: stevencreek.clustershot.com.
You can also purchase prints and photo gifts here: Arklahoma Wildlife.

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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Nicole August 10, 2008 at 5:26 am

Hi,

Awwww.

Yesterday a baby possum that I had rescued from the street died. It was hairless, eyes still closed and everything but strangely for the 24 hours that I had the little thing I really bonded with it and felt LOVE.

Just as I was getting ready to take it to an experienced rescuer it died and I cried. It was so cute and adorable and such a little fighter.

My only consolation yesterday was that there was also a very beautiful rainbow and I just choose to believe that that little baby possum rode out on that.

I am so surprised at how I am reacting to all of this! Wow.

2 Steve Creek August 10, 2008 at 5:45 am

Thank you for sharing the story of the possum you found. I am not sure where the 3 possums that showed up in my yard came from. I was thinking that the mother must have been hit by a vehicle. The strange thing is that 2 were close together but the one I took the photo of was about 100 yards away on the other side of my house.
It is always sad to see the death of a baby animal, no matter who you are.

3 Teresa August 14, 2008 at 9:52 pm

Please help me i have a one month opossum and i don’t know what to feed it …. i have been giving 2% milk mixed with egg yolk and one teaspoon of karo syrup but now i don’t think its enough can anybody please please help me i don’t want anything to happen to him cause i done something wrong … thank you for your time Teresa

4 Steve Creek August 16, 2008 at 5:40 am

Sorry but I just got your message about needing help on what to feed a baby possum you found.
Is it still alive?
My suggestion would have been to find a certified wildlife rehabilitator in your area.

How To Locate a Wildlife Rehabilitator

5 Mary Martinez April 10, 2009 at 8:05 pm

I just found a baby possum right by the door step. Poor think he was all alone. I know he hasn’t been there that long because we was not that dirty at all, and it looked as if his feet never touched the ground. Yea sure he did the hissing thing, but once I cupped him in my hands where it was warm he fell fast to sleep. After a few minutes I cut up a gala apple, took the skin off and off he went licking and chewing still cupped in my hand as if he was in a lazy boy. He was and is so cute. He is in a box now eating what’s left of the apple. My question is this, he is so small, would it be best to hold on to him for awhile until he is stronger and set him free, or should I Keep him here at home. My mother use to have pet Racoon for a pet and thought that maybe I can do the same with the possum. What is the best to do for this little guy? I never thought in my life I would ever pick up this type of animal, but here I am. Please answer as soon as possible, I want to do the right thing. Thank’s Mary I there anyway to tell how old his is.

6 Steve Creek April 10, 2009 at 8:14 pm

Mary I sent you an email.

7 kerianne May 14, 2009 at 3:44 pm

Hi! i found a possum 5 days ago in my yard with no mother in sight, he is about 7-8weeks old and hes very alert, in in good health and is climbing around.Ive been feeding him possum formular that i found how to make and ive been doing it with an eye dropper, but now hes not really taking it. What do you suggest i do,and feed him? also im not sure what to do with him when he gets older, i live in an urban area and found him in my yard,do you know of any wildlife rehabilators in NY, that i could bring him to?…or if not and i raise him and then release him, where should i release him and what are his chances of survival? with being raised with human contact?

8 Steve Creek May 14, 2009 at 8:12 pm

I am sorry but I am from Arkansas and do not know of one in your area, but that is who you need to contact. I would contact your local Game and Fish Department and also ask them. They maybe able to give you some advise.

Good luck and could I get you to contact me back to let me know how it turns out.

9 Beth May 22, 2009 at 10:09 pm

Hi. I don’t know if you can help me or will get this in time to give me your opinion. My husband and I just arrived home to find a small possum on our front doorstep. He is small – maybe a little bigger than a guinea pig. I don’t know if he needs helps or is just hanging out for a while. We just left him alone and went in through the garage. The light was on. I don’t know if that attracted him. We turned it off for a while but I just checked and he is still out there. When do possums go off on their own? Should I help this little guy or let him be? Wait until morning? I don’t want another animal to get him. We have four dogs who bark very loud. We have lots of cats in the neighborhood. I wonder if he was in danger and found safety at our door because the dogs scared away the other animal? Thanks so much!

10 Poly May 26, 2009 at 10:37 am

We found an injured baby possum in our yard this morning. Tried to find a place we could take him but his injury was too much for him, some animal had bitten him on the neck.

I later found some info on where to take baby animals to be rehabilitaded or checked.
Many I read say not to keep the baby had hoem unless you know what youre doing.
These sites were for NY, best to find a rehabilitator or a vet hospital that deals with wildlife.
I wish we had a better chance with the little guy we found, know he would had made it if his injury wasnt so bad.
Hope save some of these little guys.
Thanks

11 Poly May 26, 2009 at 10:39 am

We found an injured baby possum in our yard this morning. Tried to find a place we could take him but his injury was too much for him, some animal had bitten him on the neck.

I later found some info on where to take baby animals to be rehabilitaded or checked.
nycwildlife@yahoo.com
http://www.opossum.org/orphans.htm

Many sites I read say not to keep the baby had hoem unless you know what youre doing.
Best to find a rehabilitator or a vet hospital that deals with wildlife.
I wish we had a better chance with the little guy we found, know he would had made it if his injury wasnt so bad.
Hope save some of these little guys.
Thanks

12 Steve Creek May 26, 2009 at 12:34 pm

Thanks for posting the info and sorry that you could not save the one you found. I need to do some research on what people can do when they find an injured animal. I am surprised how many people post wanting info on the care of injured possums.

13 Chey August 26, 2009 at 2:18 pm

I have a baby opossum the mother was sick and she was laying in our yard we put the mom to sleep and the others died but this one has been doing great and she’s not the first one I’ve had.I had one before his name was Lucky,his mother was run over and my cousin took care of the other one and let her loose but lucky we came to find later had brain damage so it was good we kept him or he would have died. But anyways i was wondering how do i tell how old she is?

14 kara March 3, 2010 at 4:29 am

i was woken up by a loud clicking noise last night and i found a juvinille/baby opossum in my tub and he cant get out and im scared to touch him because hes making hissing noises n swaying back and forth…its a very cute little devil but i wanted to know how can i care for the little guy until i can get it out of my house?

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