I was out photographing wildlife recently at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. As the sun was coming up, I parked my pickup truck along the auto tour road to watch a Great Horned Owl I had spotted. As I waited for better light on the owl, I noticed some movement along the side of the road. An opossum was slowly making its way toward me!
Opossums are usually solitary, nomadic animals that remain in one area as long as there is sufficient food and water. This particular opossum seemed unfazed by my presence. I quickly grabbed my camera and stepped out of my pickup truck and started photographing it as it continued its slow but steady walk along the road’s edge. The opossum came within a few feet of me, then continued past without paying me any mind.
I had to hand-hold my camera and 800mm lens to capture these shots. Opossums are amazing critters – we don’t give them enough credit! They play an important role in the ecosystem, helping keep rodent and insect populations in check. I feel lucky I was able to have this close wildlife encounter and capture images of this usually elusive marsupial on the prowl. Just another typical day in the life of a nature photographer!
Steve Creek