Well, this one even shocked Dixie and I...... A few weeks back, Punkin started acting very strange... She chased Dixie around and would bite her on the feet every chance she got... She started going out at night and coming in each morning..... The strange behavior subsided after a few days, and all seemed well... On the 12th of July,,, Punkin's 2nd litter of the season was born.... You may have guessed and we now understand the strange behaviour.....Yep, since the 1st litter no longer stayed in the pouch, Punkin decided it was time to refill it..... Dixie and I have taken over the 1st litter... Though they are probably big enough to make it on their own, we will keep them a few more weeks to be sure.... We moved them outside so they'd have more running room and wouldn't keep waking us up all hours of the night...
The time has come for Punkin's first litter to be released... Of the original nine, two released themselves early, we released six late afternoon on the 13 of Sept, and we still have one... We are keeping the last one for a few more days to be sure a cut on his tail heals. Lots of mixed emotions surround a release, especially for this group... Many questions run through our heads.....Are we far enough away from the highway?...... Are there any Dogs near by?.......Is there fresh water for them to drink?.....Are they really ready to go??.... One by one, they slowly step through the open pen door and sniff the smell of the freedom they'll enjoy for the rest of their lives...... As Dixie and I gather up the pen and slowly walk away, we both take one last look over our shoulder for that last glimpse of them as they disappear into the brush....We've done what we can, the rest is up to them now........
On Wednesday the 7th of October, Punkin passed away... She succumbed to an illness that resulted from our failure to treat her with antibiotics when she first arrived in the Nursery with her two brothers and two sisters.... When the mother of baby Opossums is killed, the young continue to nurse and ingest bacteria that cause death if not treated. We were able to provide treatment that kept her alive long enough to do her part to ensure the survival of her species... We successfully released, back into the wild, seven of her first litter . She leaves behind a litter of five which we will continue to raise for her. May she rest in peace as her memory will always rest in our hearts...
