Relax Northern Illinois, It’s Just A Possum (Or, Opossum)

I witnessed what I can only describe as a full-blown neighborhood emergency over the weekend.

The emergency? A possum.

(I know, they're also called opossums, but not where I grew up, so we're going with possum instead of opossum here).

It was late in the evening, and somewhere on the other side of our backyard fence, a possum had apparently decided to make its way through some low-hanging branches of a tree.

What followed involved screaming, shouting, considerable banging on the lid of a patio grill and, eventually, somebody yelling, “Grab the pepper spray!!!”

At that point, I decided this was probably a good time to go inside.

a small animal climbing up the side of a tree

Why Are We So Horribly Afraid Of Possums Anyway?

It's probably because they're weird looking little creatures with beady eyes and a mouthful of nasty-looking teeth.

The thing is, despite appearances (and hissing), these strange little nighttime wanderers are generally not looking for trouble at all.

Possums are North America’s only native marsupial, and they’re actually remarkably well-equipped for surviving around humans. They tend to avoid confrontation and, when frightened, may hiss, bare their teeth or simply freeze up and “play dead.” In other words, the terrifying creature lurking in your backyard is often doing everything it can to convince you that it isn't there.

They’re also useful members of your Northern Illinois neighborhood ecosystem. Possums eat a wide variety of things, including insects, snails, slugs and other small creatures. They'll also happily clean up fallen fruit and other food they find while wandering around at night.

a small animal eating from a bowl

Looks Can Be Very Deceiving When It Comes To The Northern Illinois Possum

Despite the common fear that a possum is likely to attack, that's generally not how these animals operate.

They aren't predators looking to chase people, pets or children. They're mostly just little scavengers trying to find a meal and get through the night without becoming somebody else's dinner.

So, Northern Illinois, the next time you spot one shuffling through your yard, climbing a tree or wandering around after dark, think about taking a deep breath.

You don't need to grab the pepper spray.

You probably don't need to bang on the grill, either.

Just give the possum some space and let it go about its business.

After all, it was probably just passing through.

And unlike some of my neighbors, it won't be screaming.