In which a backyard burrower is relocated

Too, too cute!!!

Just a wee one hunkering down trying to avoid his Kodak moment.  Virginia opossum. 



I knew I'd find him sooner or later.  The enthusiastically-dug hole at the base of our outdoor shed was a dead giveaway that we had increased our homestead head count.  Fortunately, I got to him before our dog did.


"YYYYIKES!!  I'M FLYING!!"
See all the wildlife warnings in the turtle rescue post.  Opossums are not known to carry transmissible zoonotic diseases, but they are well-supplied with teeth and claws.  Note the firm grasp of the neck to immobilize the business end of the critter. 

I enjoy these funky guys, and the Wildlife Center of Texas has a post describing why they are actually kinda good to have around.  However, this little "sanitation engineer" would likely clean up my current crop of vegetables, so I decided he needed a relocation package.

I bet this bucket wasn't on his bucket list.  He got a send-off with a strawberry but wasn't interested in eating it.  I took him over to the open fields surrounding the stormwater retention ponds where hopefully he will be able to develop a prosperous future for himself.