I always thought I could be a wildlife hero.

While I was out walking this weekend, I passed an opossum that had been hit by a car and killed.  Which was really gross.  Since I have this weird fear of gross smells, I was going to cross the street , but then I almost stepped on this teeny tiny little baby opossum!  It was like, smaller than my hand, and even though I have big man hands, it was still really little.

It was wobbling around on the street all pathetic-like with it's eyes mostly closed, like right on the white line!  So I was all thinking, oh poor baby opossum, I really don't want to pick you up.  But then I though, I have to figure something out because obviously the mom is dead, so I can't just leave the baby here to die.  So I called the vet, while trying to sort of move the little guy onto the grass with my sneaker.  Then it climbed on my sneaker and wrapped his little tail in my laces and I was scared.  Like do they bite?  It was definitely a little baby, but I know they are kind of scavenger animals and you know I don't like germs.  I didn't want to get bit by a germy baby opossum.  So I let him sit there.  Because I am very nice to animals apparently.

Anyway, the vet's office told me that they don't take wildlife rescues and they directed me to a wildlife rescue place.  And when I called, I had to leave a message!  So I was standing there practically in the road with a baby opossum on my foot, and I made the executive decision to call Alex to come pick me up from my walk so I could at least put the thing in a safe spot til I heard from the rescue place.

So Alex was still sleeping and sounded less than thrilled to come get me and a baby opossum, but he said he would be right there.  I was literally less than a mile from home, but I didn't want to pick it up and carry it.  Because, um, gross.

So TEN MINUTES LATER, I called Alex wondering where the hell he was, and he was all like, "I'm just leaving the development."  So I was like, "Well you brought a box, right?"  And he was like, "What for?"  And I was like,  "To put the thing in?"

Then he proceeded to tell me that no he did not bring a box, he brought a broom pan thing.  And I was like, "WTF were you planning on doing with a broom pan thing??"  and he goes, "Scoop it into the grass or something?"  And I was like, "And leave it there to die??"  and he kind of was like, "Maybe?"  So I was like, "Omg, can you just bring me a box please??!"  So he turned back home to get a box.  Begrudgingly you guys.

Anyway, while all of that dumb conversation was going on, I saw another baby in the grass!  So I had to try to direct that one from walking into the road too.  It was quite a show.

Eventually, Alex arrived with the damn box, and I discovered that he neglected to bring something to actually pick the babies up with, and like maybe a little towel or something.  And the question that I did not exactly say out loud was, "Really?!"

So the only thing in the car I could find to pick them up with was a sock.  And I picked those little babies up and put the in the box and we drove them home. 

Brooke named them Grace and Brooke.  She was thinking we were going to keep them.

Obviously, I googled what the heck to do with orphan baby opossums, and kind of read about how to take care of them.  After a bit, the wildlife rescue lady called me back and we arranged to meet up so I could give her those little babies.

Once I met up with the lady, I brought the box over to her car and she just reached in there and picked them up with her bare hands and I felt guilty that I didn't pick them up.  The website did say to give them body heat but even though I was pretty much a wildlife hero, I wasn't about to put one of those things on my body, so I put a heated pad in the box to keep them warm.  The lady said that was OK.  So my status as a wildlife hero was still firmly intact.  Phew.

Then she asked me to go check the dead mom's pouch to see if there were more babies in there and I was like, yeah, you know, I don't think I can exactly poke around on a smelly dead opossum with flies on it!!  So she said she would do it because there were probably more babies there.

So I left her to do her thing, and even though my morning walk was cut short by the orphans, I was glad that I found someone to take care of them because aw, their mom just died.  Poor little guys.