Mother Opossum Gives Life for
Babies
Saturday, March 25, 2000
By Karen Brannon
Staff Writer
St. Augustine Record
We all know that our mothers will do anything to protect their babies.
But a group of Otis Mason Elementary School first graders found out
firsthand that it may be true of animal moms, too.
A group of first-grade students wandered upon a dead opossum on the
playground Thursday. While looking at it, they realized that it had babies
in its pouch. They immediately told their teacher, who informed the school
office.
"This really raised the empathy level of the students," Assistant
Principal Patricia Booth said.
"When the children realized that the babies were looking for milk from
the mother but couldn't get any, they were very concerned about their
well-being."
The babies were about 4 inches long and were not yet old enough to have
hair.
According to Booth, office staff called several animal agencies before
reaching St. Johns Wildlife Care, Inc.
"Very little time passed before Karen Inman arrived," Booth said,
adding that Inman placed the baby opossums - seven in all - into a
container
with towels as bedding. She then prepared the mother opossum's body for
disposal by Otis Mason maintenance personnel.
Inman, president of St. Johns Wildlife Care, said Friday that three of
the babies have died, but the other four are still hanging in there.
"They are very difficult to feed because they have to be tubed," she
said.
Baby opossums do not have the instinct to suck, so nutrition must be
forced into their mouths and down their throats using tubes. Inman
estimated
the babies, believed to be three males and one female, are one month old,
based on their weight of about 1/2 ounce each. They will not be old enough
to be released until they have grown to at least 12 inches.
According to Inman, the opossum is the only marsupial in the United
States. Marsupials carry their young in a pouch until they are mature
enough
to live on their own. Her organization is licensed to help sick, injured
or
orphaned wildlife native to Florida, with the exception of alligators,
which
fall under the jurisdiction of the Florida Department of Fish and
Wildlife.
Calls such as the one they received from Otis Mason are typical of the
calls St. Johns Wildlife Care receives.
"Usually we get calls about animals that were hit by cars and have
young nearby," said Inman. "The opossum at Otis Mason appears to have been
mauled by a dog or other animal."
The morning she received the call from Otis Mason, the last of seven
other baby opossums she had in her care had died. She was surprised to
have
another chance with seven more.
As for the prognosis for the babies, Inman said it's just too early to
tell. "When a dog gets an animal, it will take it in its mouth and shake
it.
This could cause unseen internal injuries to the babies still in the
pouch.
The other seven I had were much younger, and I was afraid they wouldn't
make
it. These may have a better chance."
For more on St. Johns Wildlife Care, see the Community section on April 8. |
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