August Possums

by Gord B, Marie S, Kathryn, Lynda B, Vicky, Geoff C, Rocky, Carol M, Sue, Nora, Cathie
( Grimsby, Glenburnie, Toronto, Burlington, Windsor, Bowmanville, Oakville, Etobicoke, North Brampton, St Williams, Metcalfe Township, Whitby, Mimico, Scarborough, Grafton)

On August 1st a reader from Grimsby, Ontario wrote to say ... I opened a cabinet drawer in my garage and there it was sleeping, it scared the be jeeps out of me .we did try and scare him out but with no luck, so we left it for the night. The next day we checked again and there it was sleeping in the same drawer . Finally with making noise and banging on the cabinet he ran for his life.

Gord Ball said ... Just getting ready for bed when I spotted one in Glenburnie (just north of Kingston). It dodged the flashlight as I chased it. It ran around my house in the foundation plants, and then it made a run for the bushes.

A reader said ... on Evelyn Avenue Toronto, I saw one scrounging around at 11 pm on August 1, 2016. It was by the side of the road. It didn't react at all to cars passing by. There must be plenty of them in High Park.

Another reader wrote to tell us ... we just found one in our garage in Burlington, Ontario. It was in a garbage can and my husband nearly touched it as he thought it was a bag of garbage at first! We've placed the can on its side in our garden and will now monitor to see if the critter vacates it once it feels it's safe enough. Funny...we just saying yesterday that we hadn't seen a Possum in this area for some time!

Marie Summer said she had a visit in August 2016 ... we had a visit from small Possum at our Toronto – Jones/Danforth neighbourhood home.

Another reader said ... earlier this evening my son spotted a small Possum (googled the species for correct i.d) on our front porch step, grazing at the bowl of food we put out daily for a feral cat whom we call "Fluffy", wild and fearless. An hour later we spotted same Possum standing upright on the walkway, making eyes with the cat who was lying languid, eyeing him/her from a distance of about 8 to 10 feet. Both appeared comfortable with the situation! I had seen the creature eating from the bowl in previous months but couldn't identify it and thought nothing of it. So after viewing a few articles and blogs on this topic, I gather that we have a new nocturnal species expanding their territory. One wonders if animal services should be contacted.

Also in August Kathryn from Toronto said ... I was walking my dog behind my condo building in Toronto. Our back yard is beside a ravine and bunnies frequently are in our Greenspace. We are very close to the Don Valley which is rich with wildlife. Today my dog barked and I looked to see a Possum! Cute little face.

Linda Blagdon from Windsor said ... I just found a Possum asleep in my garbage can - it was the first one I have ever seen so it scared me, but I tipped the garbage container over and it just ran away. My neighbours just told me that there are a few around and not to go near them so I might not be so brave now that I'm told they could bite if cornered. I live in Windsor, Ontario.

Vicky from Bowmanville says ... I first spotted a Possum last summer and spent an hour arguing with people that I was telling the truth. Well he's back this summer and I happened to be on my deck at 3 am when he came wandering by. I was able to get a few pictures, and my kids have now seen it. I think it pretty awesome we have one. I have put water out for the poor baby because we have been under heat alerts. He come by nightly now around 2 am.

A reader from near the lake in Oakville said ...we have at least one Possum feasting on our koi and goldfish in our small backyard pond.

Geoff C from Etobicoke said ... I'm 99 percent sure we saw a Possum in our backyard last night.

Rocky from North Brampton ... I was walking the dog along the Boulevard and came right up next to this white Possum snarling. Our German short haired pointer went crazy, and the possum just rolled over didn't move. Have to say I heard they were around this area, but can't believe how ugly and menacing the teeth look. It was night and I'll admit it gave me a good scare!

Someone from St Williams wrote to say ... we were at our trailer on Lake Erie just outside of St.Williams, Ontario. Our cat alerted us to a family of these nocturnal creatures playing in the front yard.

Carol M from Metcalfe Township Ontario reported ... We just spotted a Possum at around 10 pm at the base of our bird feeders eating seeds on the ground. It's our first Possum sighting....shortly after the baby Raccoons left.

Sue, who lives in Whitby, Ontario said ...I had a baby Possum on my porch last night. I didn't know what it was as I had not seen one before. Thanks Google!

A reader said ... I just spotted a Possum here in Mimico (west Toronto) trying to get a drink from our sprinkler. I was very surprised as we normally see Raccoons around, but never a Possum.

Nora said ... on August 13 I was sitting in the backyard (we live in Scarborough, Ontario) and my husband saw something from the corner of his eye and he thought it was a rat – he went under our shed and when he stuck his head out, I realized that it was a possum! We have much wildlife here as we live close to a ravine – Chipmunks, Squirrels, White Tailed Deer, Skunks, Raccoons, Red Foxes and Coyotes – but this is the first time that I have seen a Possum

August 14, Cathie from Grafton, Ontario said ... I saw a Possum on the road coming home from work tonight. I have seen Opossums in the U. S. but never before in Canada.