Opossum admitted to von Arx Wildlife Hospital stuck in a live trap
By Joanna Fitzgerald | Director of the von Arx Wildlife Hospital
A Virginia opossum was among the 61 animals admitted to the von Arx Wildlife Hospital at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida this past week.
The Virginia opossum was brought to the von Arx Wildlife Hospital in a live trap that was set to capture chickens. The opossum entered the live trap and once trapped she struggled to free herself by biting at the caging. Although the openings on the cage were only one square inch, one of the opossum’s upper canines became stuck on the wire. Her nose was pushed through the one-inch space; with her canine stuck on the wire, it made it impossible for her to move. As she pulled to free herself, the wire rubbed her nose raw and her the skin on her lower jaw was torn leaving a two-inch laceration.
The opossum required sedation to clip the wire on the cage and “unhook” her canine from the wire. Once freed, the opossum was given injectable antibiotics and electrolytes and placed on oxygen in an animal intensive care unit to rest. Surgery was performed to suture the laceration on her lower jaw.
Sadly, the injuries this opossum endured are fairly common when people set out live traps. Contrary to what most companies tout on their websites, there is no way to keep an animal safe from injury when they struggle to escape a live trap. Companies market the traps as “humane” and that the cage design calms wary animals which is misleading. Even if the trap is checked on a daily basis, the injuries an animal can sustain are significant and often prove fatal when the trapped animal panics and the flight or fight instinct kicks in.
If you have a “nuisance” wildlife situation please call the von Arx Wildlife Hospital staff for advice. There are many wildlife situations that can be eliminated humanely if the true source of the problem is addressed. A bit of understand and compassion can provide perspective and eliminate the need for trapping if we remember wild animals are simply trying to survive in a world greatly altered by humans. Understanding why they are exhibiting a specific behavior can allow people and wildlife to successfully coexist.
Recent Releases
Five double-crested cormorants, two eastern cottontails, a Florida softshell turtle, two raccoons, two sandwich terns, two mourning doves, a royal tern, a peninsula cooter, a gopher tortoise, two red-shouldered hawks, a Florida red-bellied turtle, a grey squirrel and a yellow-bellied sapsucker were released this past week.
Opportunities to Help
Please visit the Conservancy website at www.conservancy.org to view all of the amazing volunteer opportunities at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. As the New Year approaches, make plans to take action and get involved. Your volunteer time, donations, and memberships are vital in helping us continue our work to protect Southwest Florida’s water, land, wildlife and future.
