Opossum Oppression Ends

As the first step in a new program to get along with the lowly opossum, Orange County authorities have decided to stop killing them . . . something the animals, had they been asked, might have suggested a long time ago.

Orange County’s opossums, which have been put to death at the rate of more than 3,000 a year because they can carry a possibly life-threatening disease known as murine typhus, have a brighter future now.

County authorities said Tuesday that they have decided to try to teach the public how to get along with opossums--and many other forms of wildlife--rather than put the animals out of the way by killing them.

“We’ll be conducting an overall campaign in efforts to educate citizens in coping with all forms of wildlife,” said Dr. L. Rex Ehling, county health officer.

“This will be necessary as more and more people move into the foothill developments and come in contact with more animals.”

The decision was described as “a winner” by veterinarian Anita Henness of the city of Orange, founder of the Opossum Society of California. Early this year, her group of about 50 members began protesting the mandatory killing of opossums by county animal control personnel.

It was the county’s policy to put to death every opossum picked up by Animal Control officers on the complaint of citizens who didn’t like the creatures in their backyards or under their porches. Euthanasia was recommended for all captured opossums by the county Vector Control District as a precaution when a man contracted murine typhus in 1984 after he was believed to have been in contact with an opossum in the El Toro area. The man survived the usually mild, flulike disease, but because of its potential deadliness, the edict came down to kill all opossums that came into the hands of animal control officials.

Henness’ society claimed that the animals were being killed despite the fact that only a few of them were tested for the disease and very few of those tested turned up as positive carriers.

As a result of these protests, animal control veterinarian Nila Kelly tested every opossum put to death during a 90-day period this spring and summer. Of 617 tested, three showed positive and no human contacts were involved, said Len Liberio, deputy director of county health for animal control.

The ratio was not conclusive, so after a series of meetings between the Opossum Society and county health and animal authorities, Ehling decided the mandatory euthanasia should be stopped.

However, all animals, including opossums, known to have bitten another animal or a human will, by state law, be killed and tested for rabies and for murine typhus. Also, Kelly said, animals brought directly to the animal control office by citizens probably will still be put to death. They will no longer be picked up by animal control officers merely on telephoned complaints, nor will there be any effort to relocate animals to the wild.

Kelly said all calls made by persons complaining of nuisance opossums on their property will be referred to the Animal Assistance League, whose telephone number is the same as animal control offices, (714) 634-7301, or to the Opossum Society, (714) 978-7387.

Ehling said the public education program will be carried on by issuance of pamphlets, programs at school and through the media.

“The aim will be solely to create public awareness, to teach people to avoid direct encounters with wild creatures, to not try to corner them, and not to leave pet food outside where it can attract wild animals,” he said.