We have a houseguest: a mother and baby brushtail possum have set up camp on our balcony. It's not a particularly safe spot she's chosen: she's tucked behind some chipboard which covers a corner made by the joining of two external walls, so it's dark and it's cosy and it's out of the way and sort of enclosed. But it's certainly not safe, which makes us wonder if perhaps she's hurt and finds moving difficult.
We've given her some water to make sure she's okay through the day, and she's eating and drinking so she's not dreadfully sick, so for now we're just willing to let things lie and see how things pan out. She's not in the walls or the roof space (and the brushtails are too big to squirm into the roofspace).
The cats are wild to get out on to the balcony and teach her a lesson, naturally. I've tried to explain to them that, cat vs (injured) possum, there's only one going to be learning a lesson, and it's not going to be the possum. The cats remain unconvinced.
rachel [11 October 2006 @ 5:55 pm]
Mother and baby, or three-eared possum?
1All the better to hear you with, my dear…
damselfly [11 October 2006 @ 5:59 pm]
Mother and baby. I tried to get a shot which included more of the baby, because babies are always cute and because this one, unlike any other brushtail I've ever seen, is quite literally orange. But baby was camera-shy.
2Sir Tessa [11 October 2006 @ 7:43 pm]
The expression on that possum's face is "OMFG! PAPARAZZI!"
….I can't quite get my head around the encouragement you're giving this possum. They go bump in the night. Many times.
3damselfly [11 October 2006 @ 7:49 pm]
I know, they can be a real problem. But I have to say the brushies genuinely prefer the reserve behind us to the house, so they've never been a problem. So far, anyway.
The feeding was in case she was sick. I'm beginning to think she's not sick, though, so the feeding won't continue. Not if she can move all by herself.
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