I always have a live trap out for the critters that come and eat my garden, often opossums - which I release. But once I got a very young one, skinny, covered with fleas, looking bad. So I treated it and fed it up for a month, then opened the cage lid allowing freedom. She would sleep in the cage in the daytime and leave to forage at night. This kept up for a couple more months until she was gone both day and night, so I closed the cage door - insisting in an independent life. Now she goes into the unbaited trap every week or two when she needs a flea powder, full meal, massage, and comfortable sleep “spa treatment”.
I always have a live trap out for the critters that come and eat my garden, often opossums - which I release. But once I got a very young one, skinny, covered with fleas, looking bad. So I treated it and fed it up for a month, then opened the cage lid allowing freedom. She would sleep in the cage in the daytime and leave to forage at night. This kept up for a couple more months until she was gone both day and night, so I closed the cage door - insisting in an independent life. Now she goes into the unbaited trap every week or two when she needs a flea powder, full meal, massage, and comfortable sleep “spa treatment”.
Chris, that's hilarious. And they say opossums are stupid, but she seems to know what she's doing!
I enjoyed your explanation of the name Apasum as well as the article. Here's the link to Los Osos Apasums. One using its prehensile tail. Skip
https://youtu.be/BTPAy3M504M
Opossums of El Moro Elfin Forest June 2022.
Great videos, I plum forgot to mention their prehensile tail.!So cool how it was using it to carry leaves.