The NY Times claims to have solved the mystery of where the D train opossum is, after initially reporting on its subway commute of glory earlier this week. But... more ›

Yesterday life in New York City ground to a halt as New Yorkers pondered the possibility that the next time they ride the subway, there might very well be an opossum snarling under their seats. The story went viral, but it seems none of the online articles have any new information about the animal's fate, beyond what the Times reported. NYPD spokesman Paul Browne told the Times that animal control agents met the train in a subway yard next to the Grand Concourse in the Bronx... but Richard Gentles, the spokesman for Animal Care & Control, tells us, "AC&C was not involved in the removal of an opossum from a subway train on Friday, nor was one delivered to the shelter." more ›

A Bronx-bound D train was evacuated at West 4th Street early Friday morning after a suspicious passenger was discovered cowering under a seat. It was an opossum! Aw, isn't it adorable? Well, no not really; opossums are actually quite terrifying. So how did it get there? Nobody knows! The Times reports that the marsupial was spotted huddling by a heat vent after the train pulled away from Coney Island, and police cleared the train when it reached the Village. Cops, "armed with heavy-duty gloves and a canvas bag" tried to collar the animal, but after it snarled at the officers, they backed off (we don't blame them!) and arranged for animal control agents to meet the train in the Bronx. more ›

Is 2010 the year nature takes back New York? So far we've seen rabid raccoons, wild coyotes (like, everywhere), seals, dolphins and bald eagles. In comparison to last year, when we pretty much just had sad rat and Sad Panda... this is quite an upswing in animal activity. And let's not forget our latest urban explorer: opossums! The marsupials were recently terrorizing Brooklyn, and now it seems they've made it to the Bronx. Well, almost made it. A reader sent us the above photo this morning, taken at 161st Street near River Avenue... we like to think he's just playing possum. more ›

EV Grieve has a funny write-up and pictures of how 40 people lingered around not-yet-opened Madison Avenue restaurant Serge because an opossum was hanging around outside. (They are called opossums in the Western Hemisphere and possums in the Eastern.) Police officers create a makeshift barrier using folding chairs and mail crates. EV Grieve described the atmosphere, "So we all stood around like a bunch of dopes while the police officers figured out the best method of humanely trapping the possum. That left people time to theorize. 'How do you think he got here?' Well, said one man, 'I've seen possum in the Bronx.' Another man chimed in, 'I bet he took the subway!'" The opossum was rescued and, we assume, taken to Animal Care & Control. Back in 2004, ACC's director called opossums, "urban wildlife - wildlife that have adapted to an urban environment." The creatures are nocturnal and live in trees, so that's probably why we don't see them more often. more ›