State biologists are resuming with their work in Homer to find the offspring from Grubby an opossum with three more of her litter being captured on Tuesday.
The now-famous Grubby the opossum of Washington which was transported to Homer in a container for shipping it was captured at the end of November and was taken to Alaska Zoo in Anchorage.
To the dismay of the biologists from the area as well as department officials, Department of Fish and Game, Grubby made landfall with offspring.
Jason Herreman, with the Department of Fish and Game told the Associated Press that an opossum male aged between three and four months was caught close to Homer City Hall on Thursday. On Tuesday the fourth opossum — a male -had been taken. A third of Grubby’s offspring remained in the wild.
Herreman stated that the marsupials of a small size called Joeys, would be out looking to find shelter and food.
“They’re going to attempt to find food sources as well as shelters,” Herreman said. “Shelter places are going to be under sheds, houses and any small hole in which they can build burrows. Then food sources, in which there is trash left outside or put pet food out. In essence, anything an omnivore can eat. These guys are extremely generous with their food.”
In addition to the possibility of spreading diseases due to being an species that is invasive and hunting in a swarm, opossums’ uncontrolled hunting and foraging practices could pose a threat for wildlife that is local to. Herreman noted that nesting bird, rodents as well as frogs, are potential source of food.
“So you think of the smaller mammals we have like our redback voles, Shrews, and a few of our ermines, which have smaller sizes, and they could fight with each other for space and food, and eat some of these creatures,” Herreman said.
The hunt for Homer is currently focused on the area that lies between Ulmer’s Drug & Hardware and City Hall and extending into the nearby Safeway store. Pet owners must ensure their pets are kept inside while they are in live trapping effort to capture young Opossums.
Fish and Game is asking the public to help the search for any joeys that are still missing. Herreman states that they could transmit illnesses to those who come close enough and suggests that people keep an eye on the situation and contact their office at 907-235-8191 or Homer the police department at 907-235-3150, after hours of operation.
