Blog by Alexis Hinchliffe, Wildlife Educator
I got to visit someone amazing today—
Her name is Possum Pat, and she’s a wildlife rehabber. See this photo of her with one of the opossums she is helping!
A wildlife rehabber is someone who helps wild animals when they are hurt, sick, or too young to survive on their own. People from all over town call Possum Pat when they find animals like injured opossums or box turtles. She takes care of them until they’re ready to go back into the wild.
This is a picture I took of Possum Pat with one of her opossums!
When I got there, I was amazed—Pat had 41 opossums and 17 box turtles in her care! That’s a lot of animals! Like many rehabbers, she works hard and stays very busy.
While I was there, I learned why these animals are important to the places they live—also called ecosystems. Opossums are scavengers, which means they clean up dead animals and leftover food. They also eat ticks, which helps stop the spread of diseases. Even though they may look a little strange to some people, opossums do an important job.
Box turtles are also helpful. They eat insects, mushrooms, and even rotting plants. That helps keep the forest floor clean and healthy. They also spread seeds through their poop, which helps new plants grow in new places. Even though they move slowly, box turtles play a big part in keeping the environment in balance.
Visiting Possum Pat reminded me how every animal has a role to play in nature. Helping wild animals—like Pat does—is one way we can help protect our planet.
