Wildlife Wednesday - Possums

We have resident possums here - a few. We also have an awning across from our house to the garage. The possums use it as a thoroughfare and some nights they belt across there and it sounds like the house will fall down. My hubby has a fit. He's convinced they're elephants and their weight will bring them through the tin. I used to raise possums in WIRES, so I know they weight next to nothing and are all fur and fluff, but he won't believe me. In 4 years, we haven't had a possum break through yet - but he's still waiting!

This possum brought her bub for a feed from the dog bowls. She was quite tame and would take a piece of apple from your hand (but maybe don't tell my hubby that!).

I'm not a morning person and one day at 7 am, I get a pounding on my front door. I mean, who visits the neighbours at 7 am!? I got dressed and went to the door expecting the police. It was this older man - like an old farmer, but we live on the coast. He started abusing me (politely, as old men do at 7 am!) because I'd stolen his possum and baby and he wanted them back, right now. If I wasn't half asleep I would have bopped him and shut the door, as it was my brain wasn't functioning fast enough to keep up with his words.

I'd mentioned to the man down the street that a very tame possum had been eating from the dog bowls. He had a much younger dog than I and I thought his dog might end up in a fight if the possum went down there. He said something to the man at the back of him (my 7 am visitor). The 7 am visitor had a possum he kept as a 'pet' which he locked in his garage. He then went on 6 weeks holidays and didn't leave anyone to feed his possum. It escaped (I missed that bit so I can't tell you how) but he thought I'd trapped it and was keeping it as a pet in my backyard.

I told him it was a wild animal and as such free to visit my yard or his garage as it saw fit. He left and I closed the door none too gently. If I was the possum, I'd be living in a tree, not locked in his garage for his entertainment. People!