In my previous job assignment, I worked in a building that was frequented
by opossums. Somehow they would enter the building and end up above
the false ceilings over our heads. You could track their progress
through the building by listening to them scramble and, if the animal was
an adult, see the ceiling tiles buckle as they passed overhead. Every
once in a while an astonished possum would fall through a weak tile and
into a lab or office. Opossums are cagey animals. They walk
right in front of you, give you a quick glance, and continue on as if you
aren't expected to notice them. I think they're very cute and always
volunteered to grab 'em when the need arose. Being safety conscious,
I always wore teeth-proof glove. "Grab 'em quick" is my motto.
The babies are the most cute. They haven't learned to bite you (they
just bare their teeth) and calm down quickly; they'll even curl their tails
around your finger and dangle!
In the above picture, I've captured a young opossum. Contrary to rumors, we do not perform fiendish experiments on these animals. I put them in a waste basket (with a piece of apple if they get hungry) and relocate them to nearby Cottonwood Creek Park which has a very nice nature area.
