I need to state upfront that this opossum-found-stuck-in-a-jar has a contented ending, so do not fret. The poor factor was introduced into the von Arx Wildlife Hospital in Naples, Florida, when a home-owner, who had been away from house for a month, found the opossum trapped inside a glass jar that was used as a yard ornament. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida, which runs the Wildlife Hospital, tells the story of liberating the opossum on their web site:
The primary try and extricate the opossum was to place the jar on its facet and barely tip downward with a number of items of meals on the opening. We wished the opossum to make his approach out by itself. After two hours, the opossum nonetheless would not budge.
The subsequent thought was to get a glasscutter and attempt to minimize the highest of the jar. The opossum slipped into the neck of the jar simply as employees was evaluating the thought. We have been capable of gently work the opossum’s tail out of the jar whereas managing to maintain each hind toes and legs flattened to his physique. Slowly and gently, employees freed the opossum from the jar.
We settled the opossum in a restoration enclosure with meals and water and allowed the opossum time to relaxation. A verify on the opossum later that night confirmed he had eaten his weight loss program and was resting peacefully.
After three days within the mammal room within the hospital, the opossum was moved to an out of doors restoration area to encourage pure foraging habits, construct muscle energy and acclimate to the out of doors temperatures.
Sadly, this wasn’t the one animal that was just lately trapped or injured by a standard family merchandise. A black racer snake was additionally just lately helped by Wildlife Hospital employees after it obtained caught on a chunk of packing tape hanging off a storage field in somebody’s storage. The Wildlife Hospital has handled plenty of poor critters through the years in comparable conditions:
Examples through the years embody owls entangled in soccer nets, a woodpecker incapacitated after being sprayed with foam insulation, stitching thread and cord inflicting constriction accidents on numerous species of songbird nestlings and small mammals trapped in rubbish cans and dumpsters – the listing is infinite.
They conclude with a plea to owners to “rethink the gadgets in your yard.” Nice recommendation—let’s be good neighbors to our wild critter mates!
Learn the remainder of the rescue story and see some images of the rescued opossum right here. And comply with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida right here.