Texas Border Business
McAllen City Commissioners recently suggested a 60-day moratorium on picking up opossums. McAllen Animal Control wardens collect stray cats and dogs, as well as opossums and delivers all animals to the Palm Valley Animal Shelter. There, the shelter works to prepare the cats and dogs for fostering or adoption; opossums are generally let loose into rural areas by the shelter.
McAllen City Commissioners hope that by enacting the moratorium, McAllen animal control officers will be able to concentrate on picking up stray cats and dogs, to further reduce the number of stray animals loose in the community.
“While we understand that people don’t like opossums, which can be nuisances, our hope is that the community can understand the beneficial nature of opossums,” said Dist. 5 Commissioner Victor “Seby” Haddad.
Opossums are immune to Lyme disease, rattlesnake venom and rabies and therefore, do not carry rabies. Just one opossum can eat up to 5,000 ticks in a season, helping to control ticks in the area. As omnivores, opossums eat insects, snails, small rodents and dead animals, which is why opossums are often referred to as nature’s pest control and clean-up crew. While some opossums may hiss and bare their teeth when threatened, they generally do not attack and are known to faint, or “play dead” from fear when attacked.
To avoid opossums coming in to one’s yard, avoid leaving cat or dog food, or any other food scraps or trash out, for them to scrounge for. Opossums are territorial and generally control their own population. It is best to ignore opossums as they mean humans no harm.
The 60-day moratorium is set to begin on July 12, 2021 and will continue through September 15,2021.
The Virginia opossum is the only species found in the United States and Canada and is also the only known marsupial in this area.
