Yucatecan pro-wildlife group works to save these animals from being run over and stoned. The members also give talks in elementary schools to teach children the importance of caring for and preserving these marsupials….
FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, the more than 20 members of the group “Opossum Rescue” (Rescate Zarigueyal) have worked to save these animals from being killed or even being stoned, to give talks in elementary schools to teach children the importance of caring for and preserving opossums or “foxes”, as they are commonly known, since they represent a true shield against snakes and insects like the “pic”, which produces Chagas disease.
“These marsupials have many defenses and this is very important to synthesize antibodies and make vaccines against rattlesnake poison, the four noses or the huolpoch, to which they are immune,” explains Norma Reyna Márquez, who along with her colleagues will be offering talks and workshops to those attending the sixth edition of the festival of ecological content Ya’ax Lu’um, which on the occasion of Earth Day will be organized by the Macay Museum next Saturday, April 21 in the Passage of the Revolution.
“Opossum Rescue” is an organization registered with Semarnat to perform wildlife rescue, which also includes iguanas and snakes that later return to their habitat, said Reyna Marquez, who said that the group is dedicated to educating in order to conserve the environment.
“The only one we have is “Migüa”, a female opossum who was run over by her mother and she is the only one who survived, we raised her since she was a child and we saw that she had some injuries on her legs so that if we would let her go would die,” explained the interviewee who stressed that this type of animals should not be seen as pets because they have sharp teeth and nails.
She stressed that in the talks they bring this type of animals so that the public realizes that they are harmless and that they play an important role in the ecosystem, because they are a nomadic seed disperser, such as chile max, to plant seeds so it regenerates the mountains and helps us to have more trees.
“They are also wildlife controllers, because they eat the snakes, iguanas and the insects that we know as “pic”, and they are the ones that transmit the Chagas disease, that’s why it is important to take care of them, because without opossums, the insect would look for the human without any barrier to feed on his blood,” she explained.
Another myth that revolves around these animals is that by defending themselves they generate a kind of salivation to impress their enemies, which suggests that they are carriers of rabies, says biologist Fernando Puc Perera, who urges the public to leave behind the prejudices against these animals that may not be so pleasant visually, which results in people killing them on the street or in the courtyard of their homes, when they are definitely not a threat, but on the contrary of great help.
“Daily we receive between 4 to 5 reports of people who have seen opossums, we go out to try not to kill them, but we only succeed in 30 percent of the cases,” explained the interviewee, who said that it is the only marsupial inhabiting the Yucatan region. The group makes up to 300 successful rescues a year.
The call is not to kill opossums or allow dogs and cats to either.
To gather funds, the members of this group, in addition to offering their talk and exhibition, will sell various objects decorated with the images of opossums, such as stickers, key rings, puzzles and clothing, which helps them to continue with their work.
During the sixth edition of the festival of ecological content Ya’ax Lu’um, the members of Rescate Zarigueyal, will also offer a workshop to make pots with waste paper.
BY PUNTO MEDIO // Text and photos: Manuel Pool Moguel
