It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Opie, our beloved opossum and wildlife star ambassador, on July 1, 2025. He was a little over two years old. He served as the “closer” and fan favorite of Ravensbeard’s wildlife educational presentations, who never failed to delight the audience, especially children.
Opie was born sometime in the spring of 2023. Found as a baby, he was taken in and initially raised by someone who was not a wildlife rehabber. Keeping an opossum as a pet is illegal in New York State without the proper permits, and even then, it is not advisable due to the challenges of providing for their complex nutritional needs.
Opie spent his first four months with his owner. Besides being imprinted, he became very domesticated. He was taken everywhere in a Vera Bradley quilted bag. He got used to walking on hard floors, concrete, and gravel, and would not walk on grass. That was the state he was in when Opie was brought to Ravensbeard. We took Opie to the vet and they confirmed he had developed metabolic bone disease and had issues with his hips due to his diet. He could not run (or scutter away quickly) much less climb a tree. In his condition, he would not survive the wild and was clearly not releasable.
If an animal is unreleasable, we are given a stark, impossible choice. Either the animal must be put down or be designated as an educational animal and cared for in captivity. Because Opie was around people from the start, he was very tolerant. With his sweet, gentle disposition, it was not even a choice. He found a new role as an educational animal.
Opie belongs to the species known as the Virginia Opossums, the only marsupial native to North America and the only marsupial found wild in the United States and Canada, north of Mexico. Opossums are generally misunderstood. They are omnivores and they scavenge. They help with seed dispersal. They are not carriers of rabies because of their low body temperature. They can withstand 500 rattlesnake bites, which is why they are used in anti-venom research. An encounter with a wild opossum commonly results in the animal hissing and baring its sharp teeth, but they are more likely to flee than attack.
Opie spent his days in captivity carefree, one of the perks of being well taken care of. For volunteers, preparing a meal for Opie was one of the pleasures of volunteering. He was fed, bathed, and generally doted upon. The news of his sudden death hit everyone at Ravensbeard very hard.
Even in death, Opie offers us a teachable moment. Although, he was lovingly cared for, had all the creature comforts, and wanted for nothing, he still deserved a chance to be out in the wild. Wild animals are not and should not be pets. His legacy is that message.