How two opossums from Brazil ended up in a Red Deer dumpster

The Alberta SPCA confirms it is looking into the case of two opossums abandoned in a dumpster last month in Red Deer.

SPCA Communications Manager Roland Lines says they are investigating, but have yet to decide whether to pursue any charges.

It was April 24 when two bare-tailed woolly opossums, native to Brazil, were found inside a small kennel in a dumpster behind a grocery store in south Red Deer. One of the opossums, named Stinky, was later put down.

The surviving animal, Winky was taken to a nearby vet clinic, then to Discovery Wildlife Park in Innisfail, who posted the story on Facebook. That led to the opossum being returned to his original owner, who had sold the pair to a Red Deer trio.

That owner, Sabrina Wowdzia, who runs the Sugar Glider and Exotic Rescue Society, is now telling more about the opossums’ eventful tale.

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Wowdzia says the opossums, named Winky and Stinky, were flown into Canada by Ty’s Exotics to appear on an episode of the TV show “Heartland.”

“I was contacted by Ty about a marmoset he had for sale and he wanted to know if I wanted the opossums as well,” she explained. “At first I said no, but they were pretty cute and very much like sugar gliders so I decided to take them.”

After the marmoset turned out to require more time than she was expecting, Wowdzia says she put the opossums up for sale.

“I met the people who eventually bought them. They were animal people and seemed to know what they were doing and were saying the right things. So I sold the opossums to them on a contract.”

The contract, Wowdzia says, stated that the opossums would be returned to her if the new owners could for some reason not care for them.”

Wowdzia says she later sold some sugar gliders to the same people, but got them back from another buyer after the relationship between the two sides soured to the point where they blocked her on Facebook.

The story continues with an odd coincidence.

Wowdzia and her husband were house hunting in Red Deer last month. While viewing a home they were interested in, they realized it was being sold by the same people who’d purchased the opossums, when they saw Stinky and Winky looking happy and healthy. Wowdzia and her husband ended up buying the home and moving in on April 18.

Just days later, the opossums were found in the dumpster.

“I contacted Discovery and then Fish and Wildlife, I also contacted my vet as confirmation these are the same opossums. They are the only two [of their kind] in Canada, so it wasn’t hard,” she explains.

Wowdzia says it’s possible Stinky died as a result of injuries from ongoing tail issues, not from an attack by Winky as has been speculated.

Fish and Wildlife ended up bringing Winky back to Wowdzia, who has since sold her marmoset to another home.

“Now I have more time for Winky, I just wish Stinky were still alive,” she said, remorsefully.

According to Wowdzia, the people who dumped them told Alberta SPCA they did so accidentally, and are trying to get back the remaining opossum.

While she hopes that does not happen and that charges are laid, Wowdzia is thankful for the help of Discovery Wildlife Park and is happy to have the opossum in her care for the time being.

“Winky is safe and sound here, he is in a proper setup with proper food and he is doing very well.”