SesameEven though we look oh-so-cute in jammies, it's important to note first and foremost that opossums deserve a life of freedom! When I was a baby, a dog found me and two of my siblings. My siblings ran right back into the wild, but a human came to see what the fuss was about and decided to take me inside to make me a pet! At first things seemed great — who doesn’t like being hand-fed grapes?!?!! Unfortunately, I got sick since I wasn’t getting the proper nutrients. The woman who took me in was overwhelmed with the amount of attention I needed. She had thought I'd make a great pet, but didn’t realize that nature designed me to thrive best in the great outdoors. At this point, I had forgotten how to even live in the wild! We both grew sad, as it seemed I had nowhere to go — not a pet, but not a wild animal either. We were really in a pickle.
This is where a rehabber stepped in and I found my current home. My skin conditions cleared up and my nutritional needs were met, and I got everything I needed to have a great time in life!!! Even though my story is happy, I hope to remind people that the big wide world is the best place for an opossum. You certainly don’t want to take a baby from the wild, and then run into a VSP — very sad predicament! Sometimes I dream about spending my nights wandering under the stars and maybe even having a few baby Sesames of my own that would look just like me. But I’m happy now to share a love of opossums with my human friends. I love encouraging people to care for animals and the environment, and inspiring them to treat wild babies like the beautiful, strange, and adventurous beings they are. The more humans take care of the Earth, the more wildlife will thrive and prosper. |
starfishHi! My name is Starfish! I am Sesame's protege. Since Sesame passed, I use my iPad to send him emails and he wrote me back and told me I should say a bit about myself so everyone can get to know me. Welp, I have no tail. It was nipped by some baby opossums when I was a baby and the vet said it had to go! Ever since then my motto has been, "No Cob, No Prob!" (Sesame always called his tail a corncob.) Since opossums are not "pets", the reason I stay at Sesame's house is because without a tail I cannot do some of the things wild opossums need to do to stay alive. These things include carrying nesting materials to make a fluffy bed, balancing on tree branches in an acrobatic fashion, elegantly escaping predators in the fashion of parkour, and descending from trees without falling straight down and bonking my head. Staying at Sesame's Bed & Breakfast means I get to climb and exercise and have adventures, while benefitting from a "spotter" who can catch me if I tumble.
Since Sesame's B&B is my forever home, I'm the manager! I take care of all the wild babies who come to stay for a bit while they fatten up and get strong enough for the wild. I update Sesame's social media so everyone can see what's new and who the current residents are. I also like to share things I'm doing — like making paintings for animal rescue just like Sesame did, and snacking on yummy vegan things. Other than that, I am a pretty normal opossum. Sesame had the biggest sweet tooth of anyone I ever met, and I was happy for him to eat all the desserts. I barely even like fruits! Maybe I'm not a normal opossum after all. I LOVE to eat expensive nuts — I like brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, pecan nuts, walnuts, and cashews especially. You can find me by the bulk nuts section of the market, waiting for any nuts that don't make it into the bags. I also love to eat mushrooms. I only eat the ones from the grocery store that are labeled "Safe for Consumption", but I search for wild mushrooms when I'm hiking! Every time I find one, I snap a picture and then I go home and sketch it. I am putting my findings together into a book called Starry's Mushroom Guide. It will be a coffee table book at Sesame's B&B so the wild babies can read it before they go out to have their own adventures in nature! |
Starry's note on Painting: Like Sesame before me, I spend my days snuggling and painting. I even have the honor of sharing my paintings with my friends who care about animals and animal rescue. Every painting sale goes straight to Sesame's Treat Fund, which helps animals at various rescues when they need extra support. So far collectors of my (and Sesame's) opossum art have helped opossums, birds, foxes, cows, and other furry & feathered friends! Together we've made a big difference.
Helping Wild Babies: If you or someone you know finds an injured opossum or has any concerns, please contact a local rehabber right away (Ahnow.org will help you find local rescues). They will know what to do to! And please join the bunches of opossum lovers who follow along the adventures of wild opossums in their yards and select unreleasables in their social media feeds!! The moral of our story is that you don't have to have an opossum in your home to have one in your heart. Sesame will always be with us in spirit, forever and ever, and I (Starfish) will be here on Earth, carrying on the legacy Sesame started.

Join us and follow our adventures on social media!