A couple of weeks ago I got a text from my mom, “Can you talk now?” A Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginians) had taken up residence in her planter box, and one of the joeys (baby opossum) was not moving. Being the family wildlife “expert” I was called in. We got on a video chat and my parents positioned their phone against the window so I could see what was going on. I told my mom to leave the baby alone, and let the mother opossum, who I’d named “Harriet”, do her thing. Harriet sniffed around baby “Buster” (named by my mom) and then disappeared under the deck. After about an hour with no sign of Harriet’s return, my mom went to check on Buster. He wasn’t moving much and was starting to get covered in ants.
I told my mom to get a box and some old towels and put Buster in it and then to avoid that area of the backyard to not stress Harriet or Buster out. Buster snuggled inside the shoebox and was still there when she went to bed that night. The next morning when she went to check on Buster, he was gone and it didn’t look like he had been disturbed. While we’re not positive, we assume Harriet came back for him that evening.
Remember, if you find wildlife especially young wildlife, leave it alone. Only interfere if you’re positive the animal’s life is in danger. And even then be cautious since parents often leave their offspring alone to forage and will come back for it later. If you’re still concerned about the animal, contact your local wildlife rehabilitator who can provide guidance.
I think many animals “play dead” when trying to hide from threat of danger – notoriously opossum. Many juvenile animals depend on camouflage to protect them when small and vulnerable. Interesting about the ants though!