We are heartbroken to announce that Pickles, our younger female opossum, passed away suddenly on Tuesday, March 21st. In the wild, opossums only live about one year. While this is often the result of predators, they are also prone to health conditions that limit their lifespan.

Pickles came to PWC in August 2022 from Our Wild Neighbors. She immediately won over our staff and volunteers with her calm, gentle, and curious temperament. Even though she had a permanent injury to her paw, she was very active and enjoyed using her exercise wheel, taking walks outside in her harness, and climbing our staff to sit on their shoulders. (She was definitely a "shoulder opossum," and was known to grab staff members' shirts to "ask for" a ride!)

Pickles was also a wonderful ambassador for her species. Kids and adults who might have otherwise thought opossums are "dirty" or "scary" were charmed by her sweet demeanor and willingness to be pet. We're sure anyone who met Pickles walked away with a new appreciation for our misunderstood marsupial neighbors.

Even though she wasn't with us for very long, Pickles made a lasting impact on PWC, countless local elementary students, and our staff. We would love to hear your Pickles stories and see your photos of our sweet girl. If you would like to share, please e-mail conservation@piedmontwildlifecenter.org.

If you feel moved to make a donation in Pickles' memory to offset the cost of her veterinary care, please visit https://www.piedmontwildlifecenter.org/donate or click the button below.

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