Disabled opossum named Kewpie gets wheelchair. See the adorable Kentucky resident roll
One loving Kentucky resident is learning to walk with the help of a custom wheelchair and well wishes from social media fans.
Kewpie the opossum has lived a tough two years — he was born with birth defects that made his snout shorter, gave him a more vertical forehead and only one eye.
He also has arthritis and scoliosis that make it difficult for him to walk. But his friends at Wilderness Trail Wildlife Center in London, Kentucky, where he is a permanent resident, refused to let his physical ailments get in the way of a happy life.
After teaming up with Walkin’ Pets, Kewpie recently became the first known opossum to roll around in a wheelchair, the organization announced.
Kewpie has always been a favorite of Wildlife Center founder Tonya Poindexter.
“Kewpie is my educational ambassador and is the MOST popular and loved ambassador that I have by all of the children in school that I do my wildlife presentations in,” she wrote on Facebook.
“People adore him,” she added in a Walkin’ Pets blog post. “I made him my USDA ambassador for my educational presentations because he’s so loving.”
Poindexter became worried for Kewpie when he began having trouble walking four months ago, she said in the post. But after reaching out to Walkin’ Pets, “the first-ever opossum wheelchair” was built to get the opossum sniffing around independently again.
The tiny, custom wheelchair took a bit of getting used to, but soon enough Kewpie was venturing out on his own adventures and is “Mr. Independent,” the Wildlife Center said in an update.
With the help of his donated wheels, the marsupial can go to the bathroom easier, stand up and is rebuilding the strength in his legs.
“Now with the wheels (he’s) got some dignity again,” Poindexter said.
Kewpie has even cultivated a following on social media and has received donations to help fund his extensive care and medications at the Wildlife Center, where he’s been living since he was a joey.
Although Kewpie is almost 2 years old, he’s considered a senior opossum given their average lifespan of 2 to 3 years. Now, he will be able to live out his senior years in style.
