Invasive Marsupial Opossums Being Hunted Down in Alaska

After the lone stowaway delivered birth in Alaska, invasive marsupial opossums are now being pursued.

The possibility of an opossum colony establishing itself in the town of Homer has prompted wildlife authorities to appeal for assistance. More opossums have been seen in the Kenai Peninsula municipality.

Lone Opossum Stowaway was Pregnant

The most recent finding comes after what was once thought to be a lone opossum landed in Homer in a shipping container from Washington state in late March. The advent of the marsupial immediately sparked attention and excitement, and Homer's inhabitants disagreed on what ought to be done. The animal was given the name "Grubby" after being seen on Homer's Grubstake Avenue, where citizens also promoted the hashtag #FreeGrubby on social media.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game found out the opossum was a female when it was caught last week. The Alaska Zoo in Anchorage took in Grubby.

According to Alaska Media Public, the recipients of the shipping container notified the shelter as soon as they noticed the stowaway opossum in the back of the container.

According to Jason Herreman, a Kenai Peninsula assistant area biologist, more opossums have recently been discovered in Homer. One was seized on Thursday, and a second was spotted on Klondike Avenue on Friday. The original marsupial was originally spotted on Grubstake Avenue not far from there.

The size of the opossum that the team captured and the time between Grubby's arrival and the discovery of the other opossums, according to Herreman, support Fish and Game's working hypothesis that the other animals are offspring of the original opossum.

He stated that regrettably, it seems that some young people also visited the place.

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Invasive Marsupial Opossums

According to Herreman, young opossums, also known as joeys, are only reliant on their mothers for around two months, which corresponds to the period of time Grubby was free in Homer before being apprehended.

To get rid of the opossums from the ecosystem, Fish and Game is aggressively looking for them, according to Herreman. Opossums are invasive animals that are not native to Alaska. Diseases, which Herreman noted can harm people as well, as well as predation on and competition with local animals, are just a few of the hazards to the local flora and fauna. Small animals and bird populations are particularly vulnerable to opossum damage.

When Fish and Game is open for business, anybody who spots an opossum in Homer is urged to phone in. The Homer Police Department should be contacted after hours, according to Herreman.

As wildlife officials pursued the invading animals aggressively, Herreman pleaded for help from the people. The problems with illness and competition with the island's natural wildlife, he highlighted, making it undesirable for a population to be developed in Alaska, Anchorage Daily News reports.

The garage, attic, and under the porch are common locations for opossums to set up home, according to Wildlife Animal Control. They like to reside in attics, where they rip up insulation, gnaw on cables, and most likely die within the home, posing a biohazard to the people. Opossums carry dangerous bacteria and germs in their mouths and under their claws, so if they attack a household pet, they might infect them with illnesses like rabies even if they are outside.