Virginia opossums are very misunderstood animals. Many people see them as a pest when, in fact, they’re nature’s pest control.
Opossums love to eat and they’ll eat just about anything. That’s why you might find one rummaging through your trash can. One of their favorite snacks is ticks. A single opossum can eat up to 5,000 ticks in one season! This helps reduce rates of Lyme Disease. They also eat rats, mice, cockroaches, and road kill, helping to keep this city clean and safe!
The Virginia opossum is a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in DC.
If you find an injured opossum, please contact us at (202) 882-1000. If you find a lone baby opossum that is less than 7 inches long from the tip of its snout to the base of its tail—about the size of a guinea pig—then it may be orphaned and should be brought to us or your local wildlife rehabilitator.
If you find an opossum in your garbage can, simply tip over the can and wait for the opossum to leave. Then, secure your garbage cans to prevent future invaders.
It’s easy to co-exist with opossums and we need them more than we know.
As a past rehabber, I raised many babies and released them. They are so misunderstood — sometimes because they’ve suffered from injuries that make them look horrible.
I think they’re adorable.