Opossums in Wyoming: An Unwelcome Surprise Despite Expert Opinions

Despite what wildlife experts have long stated, many Wyoming residents are reporting an abundance of opossums across the state, particularly in rural areas like Goshen and Platte counties, Cowboy State Daily reports.

These nocturnal critters, which are not officially recognized as part of Wyoming’s wild animal population, are reportedly thriving in parts of the state, much to the dismay of local residents.

Ken Bauer, a farmer near Veteran in Goshen County, recalls a particularly memorable encounter with an opossum from several years ago.

“The possum rolled over and played dead, and then the dog didn’t like the smell and walked off with kind of a disgusted look on his face,” Bauer said.

He wonders if the unpleasant odor deters other wild predators, noting that the scent might explain why coyotes or foxes don’t target them.

“You’ll see an opossum and you think, ‘Why didn’t a coyote or a fox get him?’ Well, they kind of smell bad,” Bauer added.

The scent of these animals is not just unpleasant for dogs; even cats seem to avoid them. Tammy Sterkel, a Goshen County resident near Lingle, explained that her cats refuse to eat baby opossums despite their rat-like appearance.

“My cats will not eat the babies,” she said.

Sterkel commented on the animals’ unappealing presence around her home. Sterkel, Bauer, and other locals reached out to Cowboy State Daily to report the growing number of opossum sightings, particularly in areas where wildlife experts claim the animals are not established.

While experts claim Wyoming doesn’t have a known permanent population of opossums, anecdotal reports from residents suggest otherwise. In Goshen County, Bauer and Sterkel report seeing these creatures for decades. Rolf Amundson, who lives near Wheatland in Platte County, echoes their observations, saying: ‘

“We have no shortage of them out where I live. I’ve been here 20 years, and I’ve always had them out here.”

Amundson notes that opossums are particularly drawn to cat food, often consuming leftovers that other animals like raccoons would pass on.

“Sometimes the cat dish gets a little rank and the raccoons won’t touch it. But the possums will come and clean it up,” he said.

Amundson added that the worse something smells, the more likely opossums are to be drawn to it.

Opossums are reported as far west as the Snowy Range mountains near Laramie, and as far southwest as Rock Springs. In 2022, a particularly large opossum, nicknamed “George,” was captured by authorities near Rock Springs, where it had been living under a house. The Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office noted that because opossums are not native to Wyoming, keeping them as pets is strictly regulated.

For many residents, opossums are not just a nuisance but a threat to their livestock. Bauer and Sterkel both say that the animals often raid chicken coops, stealing eggs and occasionally killing chickens. Sterkel mentioned that in the past two months alone, she and her husband had trapped 11 opossums near their chicken coop, and they had caught 16 the previous year.

“They also love the cat food,” she added.

Bauer has also trapped opossums in the past, using sardines as bait.

“If you had any skunks around or any opossums around, they’re absolute suckers for it,” he said.

He prefers to relocate the trapped animals several miles away from his property, though Sterkel has a more confrontational approach, describing the opossums as “nasty little creatures” with aggressive behavior.

“They don’t play dead with the humans. If the dogs are out, they’ll play dead,” she said.

Sterkel added that sometimes the opossums bare their teeth and hiss, startling her when she’s not expecting them.

Despite their persistent presence in Wyoming, many wonder how these animals manage to survive the harsh winters. As Bauer pointed out, opossums have little fur and no insulation on their tails, making them particularly vulnerable to the cold.

“When you see them, they sure don’t have a lot of fur, and they’ve got nothing on their tails,” he said.

Nevertheless, opossums have managed to establish themselves across various regions of Wyoming, even if their population remains unrecognized by wildlife experts.