Opossum mom reunited with seven babies after getting shot with arrow in California
An opossum mom was reunited with her seven babies after getting shot with an arrow in Southern California, an animal shelter said.
Someone saw the arrow stuck in the animal and called Pasadena Humane, the nonprofit said in a March 28 Facebook post.
The opossum had been carrying her babies and was looking for somewhere to hide after getting hit, the shelter said.
The wildlife team quickly put the babies in an incubator and then performed an emergency surgery on the opossum.
Veterinarians removed the arrow, which missed the animal’s lungs and vital organs, and closed up the wounds, the group said.
“This mom and her babies were found in the nick of time,” the shelter said. “We hate to think of what could have happened to them if they had been left alone in this condition.”
The opossum mom was reunited with her babies as she recovers in an oxygen kennel.
But it’s going to be a “long road to recovery” for this animal, the group said.
Opossums are marsupials, meaning they have a pouch. Baby opossums will stay with the mom until they are weaned after about four months.
Pasadena is about a 10-mile drive northeast from downtown Los Angeles.
This story was originally published March 29, 2024 at 3:09 PM with the headline "Opossum mom reunited with seven babies after getting shot with arrow in California."
