PORTLAND, Ore. – There’s a new adorable resident at the Oregon Zoo who started his life as a high seas stowaway!
Homer the opossum is settling into his new home at the Oregon Zoo after a long a strange journey. Zoo officials said that back in early 2023, Homer’s mother, Grubby, stowed away in a large container ship bound for Homer, Alaska. Since possums aren’t native to the northern state and aren’t well-suited for its cold climate, the crew at the dock tried to capture Grubby when she arrived, but she escaped and spent the next two months evading local wildlife officials and giving birth to at least five baby possums.
Eventually, Grubby was eventually caught and taken to the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage in May 2023. One of Grubby’s joeys, Homer, arrived at his new home in the Oregon Zoo in November. Homer is still adjusting to his new home in the ambassador animal area, but Zoo staff said they’re optimistic he’ll soon come out to be a good representative of his oft-misunderstood species.
“Homer had quite the adventure getting here,” said Eliza Lee, who oversees the Oregon Zoo’s ambassador animal program. “He’s made himself right at home — he loves snuggling up in a hammock or using his nose to explore.”
Opossums are the only marsupials found in North America, and are native to the East Coast of the U.S.. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said the Virginia opossum was first introduced to Oregon between 1910 and 1921 as pets and novelty animals who were released into the wild.
