Not long ago, a couple from Long Island, New York, were cleaning up after a house party when they were startled by something rather unusual.
As they took the trash out to their outdoor trash bin, they noticed what looked like a ball of hair right on top.
Upon further investigation, they saw the ball of fur moving and realized it was actually a wild possum.
The poor animal had likely jumped into the trash bin in search of food when no one was around and got suddenly trapped with no way out.
Shocked by their discovery, the Long Island couple didn’t know what else to do but to contact their local wildlife rescuer Karenlynn Stracher.
Karenlynn agreed to come and survey the scene, eager to help both the couple and the poor possum.
She documented her possum rescue mission in a video and later posted it to her TikTok profile.
As you can see in the video, Karen decided to move the trash bin and tip it on its sides so the possum could walk out on its own.
She chose this method because possums are nocturnal and have poor daytime eyesight; immediate removal could have compromised their ability to find a new hiding spot.
Fortunately, the couple was understanding and didn’t mind the possum staying in their backyard for another day.
In an interview, Karenlynn mentioned that she wasn’t surprised the possum had wandered into the couple’s trash bin. She said:
“This is actually a common situation. Often animals are hungry and smell leftover food in the garbage from outside the garbage pail. They are able to find things to climb on to get in, but once inside, it’s much harder to get out.”
The next morning, the couple informed Karenlynn that the possum had left during the night.
Everyone was pleased with the outcome: Karenlynn, the couple, and yes – even the possum who was finally free and back in the wilderness where he belonged.