It’s not every day you look into your trash bin and get a real shock.
But that’s exactly what happened to a family about a month ago when they spotted a little furry creature while taking out the garbage.
For us, trash bins are just places to dispose of waste, but what we see as garbage can be a treasure trove for others. A few weeks ago, a couple on Long Island, New York, got quite the surprise when they went to throw out their trash.
Down in the bin, a small, furry animal was hiding.
The homeowners decided to call for help and got in touch with local animal rescuer Karenlynn Stracher, who immediately rushed to the scene.
When she arrived, she quickly identified the little intruder as a young possum that had caught the scent of something tasty in the trash bin and decided to climb in. Unfortunately, climbing back out proved to be much more difficult.
“This is actually a common situation,” Stracher told The Dodo and added:
“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.”
Since possums are nocturnal, Karenlynn was concerned that the little one might have trouble finding its way back home, as they have poor night vision.
She decided to leave the possum in the trash bin but tipped it over slightly, allowing the animal to leave on its own when it was ready—likely as soon as night fell.
By the next day, the possum was gone, having safely wandered back into the wild where it belongs.
In the video below, you can watch the entire sequence of events:
It’s great to see that everything worked out so well! The homeowners should definitely consider getting lids for their trash bins to prevent any future surprises.
