Current Events > A baby opossum I've been rehabbing died.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Someone brought him into work (animal sanctuary) a couple of weeks ago because of bait box poisoning and no one thought he would make it at first, but he improved quite a bit in the day after intake. Sometimes they can turn around and end up just fine, and he really had us thinking he would make it. I was allowed to bring him home to give him extra attention and it worked. He was growing and looking really good.

Then yesterday, he got really lethargic and didn't have any life in him. Baby opossums are really good at clinging, that's how they survive with their mother, but he just kind of slid off of everything and had no fight in him. I went to feed him tonight and found him warm but not moving. He probably went not long before I got to him.

He was the first animal I've been in charge of from the beginning and it sucks because it's not anything I did anything wrong. Sometimes there are longer term effects of poisoning that we can't see or do anything about even if we can. I know I did the best I could and it was an uphill battle but it still feels really bad.

I'll keep doing this work in hopes of helping animals but I did have this really brief but really intense moment of nihilism and anger about people recklessly using poison for pest control. I can really understand why people who work with animals have a high rate of burnout and mental health issues. This sucks.

It also doesn't help that I overdid my preworkout and am amped the fuck up lmao

RIP little dude

R.I.P

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/7/732a8077.jpg

Sorry mate

:(

The poor thing, I'm sorry things didn't work out.

Im so sorry. Be kind to yourself.

Thanks, everybody. Woke up feeling a lot better. I think like 80% of how bad I felt was caffeine overload because there was more death waiting for me at work and I'm not taking it nearly as hard.

CSCA33 posted...

R.I.P

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/7/732a8077.jpg

I love it!

I remember someone else on CE trying to rehab a baby possum that also didn't make it. These baby animal stories are a bummer. I'd rather hear more like the guy that saved a drowning bear cub

Jiek_Fafn posted...

I remember someone else on CE trying to rehab a baby possum that also didn't make it. These baby animal stories are a bummer. I'd rather hear more like the guy that saved a drowning bear cub

The facility I work at takes in a few thousand animals a year and the vast majority of them make it.

We had around three dozen successful releases this week, most of them animals who came in as orphaned babies. I also have a few dozen other opossums ready for release in the next couple of weeks.

This one just hit harder because he was "my" project. I did the intake, triaged him, and had total control of him. These other guys bounced around from the facility at work to other rehabbers before coming to me until it's time for release, so they're a little less personal I guess.

Rip

Godspeed, lil' possy.

Awwww sorry to hear it

rest easy :(

RIP