We lost Amelia very unexpectedly in November 2024.  She'd suddenly become very lethargic and had trouble breathing and walking.  A trip to Blue Ridge Wildlife Center confirmed our worst fears:  hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.  Heart disease. Opossums are very susceptible to heart disease although we do not know why.  She was only 18 months old. 

Amelia (aka Melie) and her brother came to Awesome Possumz on June 19, 2023 from a lady who had kept them as pets for nearly three weeks.  Although they seemed healthy from the good diet she'd given them, they were very friendly.  Possums have distinct personalities just like all other animals and right from the start I could tell that the boy was more timid and careful.  Not Melie. 

Each new enrichment item in their cage resulted in an immediate explosion of curiosity and adventure.  She would instantly climb right to the top of each new branch, whereas her brother would wait down below to see if it was safe.  So, she earned the name Amelia, after Ms. Earhart, who also loved adventure and exploration.  Little did I know that the name would prove to be a little too accurate. Amelia's brother seemed to be a good candidate for release, so I put him in an outdoor enclosure and sure enough, he "wilded up" just fine.  He has since been released. 

But Melie stayed super friendly.  Then, one evening I noticed she wasn't putting any weight on her left arm, which earned her a trip to meet Dr. Jen at Blue Ridge Wildlife Center in Boyce, VA the next morning.  Radiographs showed that she had a humeral fracture as well as hip disease (very shallow hip sockets).  When I told Dr. Jen who Amelia was named after, she said, "Because she thinks she can fly?"  I said apparently.  Sigh.Because of the severity of the break, Dr. Jen and her team weren't able to operate to put a pin in the arm, so they bandaged it and hoped for the best.  After just a few days the arm had already started to heal and after a week the bandage was changed and the bones were starting to become stable.  Another week at Blue Ridge and Amelia's progress was amazing!  Because of her injury and hip disease, she may have mobility issues in the future, so she earned herself a permanent place at Awesome Possumz.