A Nice Start
When Poncho the baby opossum was born, things seemed to be going well. He mostly hung out in his mother's pouch, where he grew stronger everyday.
Shortly after, he began making his first movements, and he quickly learned to cling to his mother's back instead of hiding inside the pouch all the time. Can you think of anything cuter than that?
Disaster
Neither Poncho nor his mother could have ever imagined what fate awaited them. Just when Poncho was learning to take its first steps, he was struck by tragedy.
One dark night, the mother opossum was hit by a car and died. From that day, Poncho's life was forever changed and nobody knew what would happen next.
Alone In The World
Before she passed, Poncho's mother was able to make it to the opposite side of the road, where a team of rescue workers eventually found her. But what about little Poncho?
The workers were surprised to find a scared baby opossum clinging desperately to his mother's limp body. He was shivering with fright; the future seemed hopeless without his mother.
The Rare Species Fund
The rescue workers weren't sure what Poncho's future would be, but they knew he needed comfort, a roof over his head, and food. With this in mind, they came up with a plan.
The rescue workers took him to the Rare Species Fund in South Carolina, where experts would be able to tend to Poncho's immediate needs. Did Poncho receive the care and attention he needed?
In Search Of A Mother
While Poncho's basic needs were satisfied, the rescue workers knew that he still needed a mother. He hadn't yet been taught how to eat, how to keep himself clean, or how to socialize with others of his kind.
But as you probably know, there isn't a catalog of mother opossums, so the team needed to get creative. Where or how would they be able to fill the void in Poncho's life?
The Hero
Crazily enough, the team came up with a strange but rather fitting idea. They needed to find some other creature that would fill in Poncho's mother's shoes, and this is what they came up with.
Hantu was a white German Shepard that didn't have any puppies. However, this didn't mean that she didn't have strong maternal instincts. Therefore, the team thought that they should pair these two together.
An Extraordinary Pairing
Surprisingly, Poncho and Hantu didn't have a hard time at all to form a deep bond. Nevertheless, everybody was expecting to see at least some difficulties.
I mean, how could a dog possibly create a similar environment to that of a mother opossum and her children? How would they even understand each other? The way this story evolved will surprise you.
A Smooth Transition
Much to everybody's surprise, Poncho didn't seem to be suffering too much from the loss of his mother. While this was a relief, it left the workers perplexed.
In fact, Poncho didn't seem to even notice that his new maternal figure really wasn't the same species as he was. He proceeded to cling to Hantu just as if she were an opossum.
Never Seen Before
The sight of Poncho hanging onto Hantu was definitely a completely novel incident. Vets from all around the world were baffled when they read the news.
Opossums have been walking this Earth for a very long time; they even walked along dinosaurs! So it's probably safe to say that until Poncho and Hantu, nobody had ever seen an opossum on a dog's back.
Worries
While very unlikely, the situation of Poncho clinging onto Hantu was working very smoothly. But the rescue team was worrisome about what would happen once Poncho reached full size.
After all, adult opossums can be 2 feet tall and weigh more than 20 pounds. Besides, there was a high chance he would start developing more aggressive conducts towards animals from other species. Was this the case?
Forever Together
Beating all odds, Poncho continued climbing to the back of his adoptive mother as an adult, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. How adorable is that?
So the dynamic duo would explore the forest of the rescue facility one climbed on top of the other. If you don't believe me, take a look at the picture above!
A Unique Bond
The strangest part regarding the depth of Hantu and Poncho's bond was the relationship that their species usually have outside the rescue center.
For instance, dogs happen to be the largest threat that opossums face in suburban areas. When they spot an opossum, their natural instinct is to either hunt or chase them.
Outside The Rescue
To put things into perspective, if it were to be a suburban area and an opossum were to see a dog, it would immediately play dead. Can you guess why they do that?
When an opossum plays dead, it is just making sure that the dog will think it's not worth attacking it. What's the point in attacking it if it's already dead? However, attacking Poncho never crossed this Shepherd's mind.
Inseparable
Clearly, the "normal" situation would be for Poncho's mother never to have been killed in a car accident, and for Poncho to have been raised by an animal of its kind.
In spite of this, the current reality was that Poncho felt at home with Hantu. Not only was he super comfortable riding on her back, but these two were inseparable.
A Favor
It goes without saying that news of this unexpected friendship went viral all over the world. However, Hantu and Poncho did more than just warm our hearts.
They also helped the Rare Species Fund go beyond their mission statement, that reads as follows: "[to educate] the public about conservation issues through the use of animal ambassadors".
Not That Cute
You may look at the pictures of Poncho and think that opossums are the cutest animal alive. However, they are faraway from this image in the suburbs.
Opossums resemble rats for the most part and have rather sharp teeth. They love digging your trash can and making a mess out of them. Definitely not an animal you'd like sneaking around your kitchen.
A Different Opinion
But don't let this discourage you from looking at an opossum with a tender heart. While they might cause a small mess in your backyard, they can be quite essential.
As Paula Goldberg, a wildlife expert, said, “opossums do a wonderful job to keep things in balance in our neighborhoods and in our forests”. Clearly, the pros outweigh the cons!
An Unfair Reputation
Paula believes that the negative reputation that opossums have is rather unjust. For instance, they aren't as aggressive as people portray them to be and they aren't filled with contagious diseases either.
Furthermore, the fact that their diet consists of roadkill and some trash actually helps the neighborhood stay clean. Then what's the harm in them?
Poncho's Difference
We're not expecting everybody to suddenly change their opinion about opossums. However, it's hard to see them the same way after hearing the beautiful story of baby Poncho and German Shepard Hantu.
Even if you still don't consider yourself an opossum fan after reading this story, this should at least make you think that they aren't life-threatening rabid rats.
A Heartfelt Friendship
So, has this story already changed your mind about opossums? If not, maybe this last picture will do the trick, or else your heart is made of stone!
The unique bond that was created between Hantu and Poncho shows that our negative image towards Poncho's species is not always the case! What did you think of this story?