The Wildlife Center is sad to announce the death of Ernie, an education Virginia Opossum, on February 22, 2015. Ernie was almost four years old, which is quite old for an opossum.
Ernie and his brother Bert were rescued in August 2011 after their mother was hit and killed by a car. Their rescuer kept them for a little more than a month before bringing them to the Wildlife Center; by the time they were admitted, both opossums were friendly toward humans. After an assessment period, the Center staff decided both opossums were too friendly for release, and they were both kept on as education opossums.
During his education career at the Wildlife Center, Ernie appeared in 53 programs and “met” more than 3,600 people. Ernie’s final official appearance was in the fall of 2014, when a family booked a tour of the Wildlife Center. They particularly loved opossums and were able to meet several of the opossum ambassadors, including Ernie. His story highlighted the importance of keeping wild animals wild, as well as the importance of not littering.
.JPG)
Ernie, along with his brother Bert, became well-known “artists” in their time at the Wildlife Center. One of their creations was auctioned at the Center’s annual benefit and gala, which in turn supported all of the animals at the Wildlife Center. Ernie and Bert lived together throughout their time at the Wildlife Center, and while each opossum had a “house” in their enclosure, they could often be found curled up together. Ernie is survived by his brother Bert.
Thanks for your service, Ernie. You will be missed.
