The Wildlife Center is sad to announce the death of Peg, an education Virginia Opossum, on March 6, 2012. Peg had been at the Center since 2009.
Peg and two of her siblings were rescued after their mother was hit and killed by a car. When they were admitted to the Center, they were suffering from alopecia [extreme hair loss]. Center veterinarians suspected this was due to poor nutrition in prolonged captivity, as the opossums were also not at all afraid of humans. After a few months of a proper opossum diet at the Wildlife Center, their coats grew back in – but the three opossums were still too friendly to be released.
After their brother was placed at another educational facility, Peg and her sister Hillary remained at the Center to serve as education ambassadors. During her career at the Wildlife Center, Peg appeared in 80 education programs and was seen by more than 10,000 people. Her final appearance was in November 2011, when she visited Staunton Church of the Brethren in Staunton, Virginia. The children of the Vacation Bible Schools from the Church of the Brethren and neighboring Christ Evangelical Lutheran had worked together to raise funds with the aim of adopting critters through the Center’s Caring for Critters program. Peg was one of three animals they adopted. Peg was a frequent participant in Wildlife Center Open House tours because of her calm nature, and her personal story highlighted for children and adults throughout Virginia the importance of not littering and of eating nutritious food. She was preceded in death by her sister, Hillary, who died of kidney failure in late October 2011.
Peg will be greatly missed.