When the team from Newhouse Wildlife Rescue (NWR) got a call about an injured opossum, they thought it would be a routine rescue. Instead, they arrived to a heartbreaking scene: an adult opossum who hadn’t survived a collision with a car—surrounded by a litter of tiny, clinging babies who refused to let go.
Clinging to Hope
“The babies were still clinging to their mother, helpless without her,” NWR shared. The rescuers gently separated the joeys and wrapped them up in a warm, blanket-lined carrier—heartbroken but determined to give them a fighting chance.
Back at NWR headquarters, there was good news: all six joeys were healthy enough to survive with round-the-clock care. The staff provided a nutrient-rich feeding plan—but knew these orphans needed more than just food.
A Clever Solution: The Plush Opossum “Mom”
To help the babies feel safe, NWR offered them a life-size plush opossum stuffed animal. It wasn’t their real mom, but it was close enough for comfort.
The tiny opossums snuggled into the plush toy, clinging to its fur just as they would in the wild. “They love being able to simulate what they would have been doing with their mother,” the team wrote.
On the Road to Recovery
Weeks later, the orphaned joeys are thriving—cuddling with their pretend mom and getting stronger every day. They’re not big enough for release yet, but thanks to NWR’s quick thinking, they have the warmth and security they need to grow up wild.
NWR knows the late mother opossum would be proud. “I bet mom would be so happy to know her babies are safe and being taken care of,” the team shared.
