New Zealand – Possum is holding a woman hostage

A student was returning home last Sunday night in Dunedin, south of New Zealand. It was about 11pm, and she was busy unloading her car when she felt an animal climb on her leg. Thought it was a cat, she pushed it away but then realized it was an opossum.

The animal returned to the scene of the attack and the young woman had no choice but to take refuge in the house, he says Things. But every time she looked out the patio door to see if the opossum was still there, the animal would jump towards her.

The young woman called the Wildlife Service, who directed her to the police. Having finally reached someone on the emergency number, she then said, “I’m being held by Possum.” She was believed since a policeman arrived at her house 20 minutes later and spoke to her through the window. It was then that he, too, was attacked by an opossum, who rushed towards him and climbed onto his leg.

The officer was able to blind the animal with the light of his flashlight and disorient it, allowing him to grab it and put it in a box with food. Then the opossum was taken away and released away so that it would not come back to bother people.

According to police, this little opossum was a pet that had escaped, or had recently separated from its mother, which may explain the fear and defensive behaviour.