Momma Opossum Attacked by Dog Relearns How to Walk and Thrive with Help from Rescue
A mother opossum can care for her babies again thanks to a Florida wildlife rescue.
The wild animal and her four joeys came into the care of the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) in Sanibel, Florida, on March 7, after a dog attacked the marsupial. The attack left the momma opossum with injuries on her back legs, which affected her ability to walk.
To help the animal get back on her feet, the dedicated staff at CROW taught the opossum to walk on her own again. This process started with surgery to treat the puncture wounds left behind by the dog attack. After recovering from her operation, the mom opossum started daily physical therapy sessions, where CROW staff members helped the animal regain strength in her back legs by supporting her with a sling while she walked.
Now, thanks to CROW's patience and support, the mother opossum can walk on her own again and is moving around obstacles without issue.
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CROW posted a video on social media about the marsupial's recovery journey, which shows the animal slowly learning how to support herself on her back legs again. The clip concludes with a happy ending. At the end of the video, the opossum — and the four joeys in her pouch — move out of CROW's indoor facility into their outdoor rehab.
CROW - Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife
"After a month in care, she (and her 4 joeys) were moved outside — one step closer to release!" CROW captioned their post about the mother opossum.
The wildlife rehab also shared a message for pet owners in their post about healing the marsupial, urging them to watch their furry friends when they're outdoors.
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"Our domestic animals can pose risks to our native wildlife. In order to keep wild animals safe and populous to sustain our ecosystem health, we must be good stewards of our pets! While accidents can happen, securing your yard and leashing your dog while walking will keep your pets and our native wildlife safe!" CROW wrote.
