Playin' 'Possum

A friend of mine is a wildlife rehabilitator and graciously gave me the opportunity to release one of her subadult opossums that she had rehabbed.  The little guy was brought to her by someone who had found him in his mother's pouch after she had been hit by a car.  After several weeks of good nutrition, he grew some strength and was ready to be released. 

I took him to a rural area of the town where I live and picked out a nice spot in a wooded area near a creek. 

When I let him go, he was very hesitant at first, and spent a long time sniffing his new surroundings.  After a while, curiosity got the best of him and he was prodding around his new home.  He was particularly interested in rotted stump and I tip-toed away while he was digging for bugs.  Fingers crossed that he makes it!