Henry - A baby opossum story

Henry was brought to me and my son Adam, who holds a Virginia rehabilitaors permit as well, on April 26, 2014.  He traveled to us all the way from North Carolina.  A contractor who had been working on my home found him in the yard of his Moyok, N.C. home.  The mother had been killed and there was no sign of any other babies.  Poor Henry was found wandering the yard by himself.  

Upon his arrival to us, he was completely infested with fleas, but otherwise was in excellent health.
Henry loved to be held and cuddled as a baby, and his initial time with us was spent reassuring him that he was safe and in good company, and that we were here to help him.   There reaches a time however, as all rehabilitators are aware, when the cuddling has to discontinue.  It is a bittersweet time, because while the animal may still be quite small, friendly, and cuddle able, the animals need to cultivate a fear of humans for the animal's own safety and well being for when they are released.  

Henry still received plenty of love and care as he grew.  He was fed the finest yogurt, fruits, vegetables, eggs and chicken.  Opossums in captivity need to be fed a very strict diet consisting of a very specific ratio of protein, calcium, phosphorus, and fruit.  Opossums in captivity are highly prone to metabolic bone disease, which develops from an improper ratio of the foods mentioned, and can render them unreleasable if the disease progresses too far.  Fortunately, this was not an issue with Henry.  He was healthy and strong!

Over the next 2 months Henry thrived with us.  Once he reached the size and age when he was determined to be releasable, he was moved to a large outdoor enclosure where he acclimated to the sights and sounds of the wide wild world.  On June 28, 2014 Henry was released in the Great Dismal Swamp. We are fortunate to have friends and fellow rehabbers whose back yard property runs right into the Great Dismal Swamp.  This is truly a wonderful and safe habitat for our orphaned critters to be released into.  It is habitat free from traffic and with minimal human interference, and an ample source of food.  It is truly a critters heaven.  

Henry was released at dusk, as opossums are most active in the evening hours.  He was brought to the woods in a smaller cage for transport ,complete with one of the cloth pouches that is used in most critters housing for them to sleep in.  I removed the top off the cage and allowed him to leave on him own time table.  He certainly took his time.  He decided to play and roll around in the cloth pouch for close to 15 minutes.  When he finally tired of his antics with the pouch, he walked off to explore one of the outdoor rehabilitation enclosures nearby.  As the dark descended upon us all in the forest, Henry decided to amble off into the woods.  It is with tears of joy that we bid Henry farewell, along with our best wishes to him for a long and healthy life in the wild!


If you should encounter baby wildlife, please do not offer it food or water.  The wrong food can cause serious digestive problems and a hungry baby is more apt to cry for it's mother and she will be able to find it more easily.  Please call the organization which I am associated with for immediate advice:
Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge   (757) 430-2886

Thank you for taking the time to read about another of my successful rehabilitation and release stories. I welcome your comments!

Saving wildlife one tail at a time ~ Kim Johnson

Location

Find us on the map

Monday:

8:30 am-8:00 pm

Tuesday:

8:30 am-5:00 pm

Wednesday:

8:30 am-5:00 pm

Thursday:

8:30 am-1:00 pm

Friday:

8:30 am-5:00 pm

Saturday:

8:45 am-2:00 pm

Sunday:

Closed

Testimonials

Feedback from our clients

  • "Words can not begin to express our gratitude for the care you had given Hunter over the years. When his time came, he watched for you to come through the door and his tail showed his affection towards you. That was most comforting having you there. Thank you.""
    ~R.H
  • ""Thank you so much for taking care of Maggie over the years. Y'all are the best and Dr. Johnson, you are the best vet in the world! God bless you all.""
    ~ J.D.
  • ""Your care for my beloved Mattie these last 10n years made her life, and mine much better….God bless each of you for all you did for us and I'm sure for all your other two and four legged patients.""
    ~E.D.
  • ""Thank you for saving my life." ~T.C."
    ~T.C.
  • ""I can not express how grateful I am for you and your staff… I appreciate everything you did in Beckham's treatment. He was so lucky to have such a wonderful doctor on his side. Thank you for all you do for the benefit of all our beloved pets.""
    ~L.B.
  • ""Dr. Johnson - There are no words that can truly capture your kindness.""
    ~G.B.
  • ""Thank you for the great care you took of Taco and the rest of our family. He is doing great now! He is enjoying running and playing with all four legs again.""
    ~W.C
  • ""People who avail themselves of your services at the clinic certainly are blessed to have such a caring staff....bless you and your devoted staff.""
    ~E.D.
  • ""A sincere thank you for taking such good care of Dulce. We are so thrilled that she is back to her normal self. You gave her the support and care she needed in her darkest hours and kept us confident in her recovery.""
  • ""Just to say how much we appreciate all of you. You all are wonderful people. We feel blessed to have our beloved furry children in your care when they need it. Your professional knowledge and your acts of kindness have a beautiful act all it's own. You are a great vet, compassionate and everything good all in one. You are in our daily prayers.""
    ~T.F.
  • ""Thank you and all of your staff for the excellent care you gave to my wonderful Abbey, who was so much a part of the family. Thank you for all the advice and support you gave to me these last few months. I don't know how I would have gotten through this without your constant support. I will, and I have highly recommended you to family and friends, as I feel you are the best!""
    ~P.B.
  • ""Thank you for taking care of my kitty, Slingshot. He is feeling better and better. My Paw-Paw said that you took extra special care of him and I really appreciate it. So, thank you again for taking care of my cat.""
    ~T.B. (age 6)
  • ""Dr. Johnson, I don't know why you decided to move here from your home in New Jersey, but I absolutely believe it was so you could help me and Mickey. I know coming to someone's home is not what a typical veterinarian would do, but you are obviously an extraordinary man in a world filled with ordinary men….On top of that, your sensitive and wonderful handwritten note arrived and touched my heart…You are one of those quiet, unheralded champions who make life easier for everyone you touch.""
    ~C.W.
  • ""Thank you so much for taking care of Lola when she had her reaction, and your office was already closed. I know you took time away from yourself and your family and I really appreciate it.""
    ~R.M.
  • ""Thank you for giving me more time with my best friend. We are all so grateful.""
    ~A.M.
  • ""Thank you for all of your support for Maxine during her illness. All was very much appreciated and will always be remembered. I have related to all my friends of what a great doctor and staff at Birdneck Animal Hospital.""
    ~O.B.
  • ""Thank you for taking such good care of me over the last 4 years. I am doing well and both legs and feet feel great. You sis an awesome job on me Dr. Johnson, and I'm gonna have a great year this year and I hope to see you only for my check up. You guys are the best!""
    ~Budkus
  • "We can't thank you enough for the wonderful and loving care you gave to"Budkus" while he was in your care. He was so little and so sick and we were so scared for him. Each and every one of the staff members made us feel like we had the only dog in the world. Like nothing else mattered except getting "Budkus" well again. Our deepest gratitude to all of you for the excellent care and attention we received, for your encouragement, comfort, and understanding, and most importantly for saving his life! Thank you so much.""
    ~ J.,B.,C.