Possum in a car engine

10.07.2004 - Wild critters get into all sorts of places my customers would rather not have them - in attics, garages, swimming pools, under porches, and so on. Well, from time to time wild animals get into real zany places, such as this opossum in a car engine! The homeowner left his car parked for two weeks or so without moving it, and then when he tried to start it up, it wouldn't start.  He said he noticed a faint odor, but tried to start it again, to no avail - no power at all.  He popped the hood and was in for a heck of a surprise when this toothy fellow lunged at him! The opossum had set up shop in the car engine, building a nest with debris and tearing up several of the wires (thus the failure to start).  It had no problem climbing up through the bottom of the car and making a nest inside.  In fact, given the nature of the opossum to climb under objects and then up inside, such as under a home and then under the bathtub, I'm surprised that this doesn't happen more frequently. I don't like to think about what would have happened had the car started and the animal was in the wrong place, such as near one of the fans or belts.  That would have been bad. I came to the home, and of course the stubborn opossum was still there, clinging to its new home, unwilling to leave.  I got my snare pole and looped the animal around the torso, and threw it in a cage and removed it.  The homeowner had to seek repairs for the damage. I've seen rats, mice, and squirrels live in automobile engines.  These rodents often chew on the wires.  But this was the first opossum.  I have a feeling that it won't be the last.

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