Grubby, the female opossum that hitched a ride to Alaska on a shipping container two years ago — spurring a manhunt, memes and a frenzy in a small coastal town — has died, the Alaska Zoo said Tuesday.
The Virginia opossum, which zoo staff had taken to calling Ophelia, died Saturday from what the zoo described in a statement as complications of old age.
The marsupial was found in spring 2023 huddled in the back of a shipping container that arrived in Homer from Washington state. Opossums are not native to Alaska.
The opossum was eventually caught and transferred to the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage, where it would live out the rest of its days.
According to the zoo’s statement, Grubby was about 3 1/2 years old when she died. The average lifespan for an opossum in the wild is one to two years, according to the zoo.
A lot of wild critters have shockingly short lives, but the difference is usually more notable when in captivity, or well cared for. Opossums seem to be unlucky.
13 Comments
ickplant@lemmy.world · 29 pts · 204d
You can read the full story here.
Stamau123@lemmy.world · 24 pts · 204d
Didn't know possums had such short lives
SeductiveTortoise@piefed.social · 13 pts · 204d
Maybe that's why they scream.
SkyezOpen@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 202d
SkyezOpen@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 204d
Why have long life when many baby do trick.
AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 204d
A lot of wild critters have shockingly short lives, but the difference is usually more notable when in captivity, or well cared for. Opossums seem to be unlucky.
unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de · 5 pts · 204d
Yeah i also just found out recently. Big sad, makes them kind of an emotionally complicated pet to have.
prettybunnys@piefed.social · 5 pts · 203d
It’s one of the reasons people say not to get them as pets, lives shorter than rats sometimes :(
Evil_Shrubbery@thelemmy.club · 13 pts · 204d
Ancient traveler laid to rest one final time.
Godspeed.
baguettefish@discuss.tchncs.de · 8 pts · 204d
When do we send them a new one?
EgoNo4@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 204d
Are we sure she's not just playing possum?
synapse1278@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 204d
So sad to hear the loss of such an iconic Warcraft III pro gamer 😢
Minnels@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 204d
Almost thought this was the ex Warcraft 3 pro gamer. Saw him streaming yesterday so got a bit confused.