Shelby Township nature center greets new resident opossum - and asks community to name him

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The Burgess-Shadbush Nature Center's newest member: an opossum born without eyes.

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. (FOX 2) - An adorable opossum born without eyes and the newest member of the nature center in Shelby Township is in need of a name and the community is asked to help out.

The Burgess-Shadbush Nature Center recently welcomed the rescued opossum with hopes he could become the building's new ambassador. Whatever name he's given, he will have big shoes to fill after the nature center said goodbye to Lily, the much-loved marsupial who lived at the center for years.

"She also left a large hole in our hearts, so we began the search for another non-releasable opossum," said coordinator Elizabeth Schultz.

The newest member of the center had been rescued and was being kept at the Motor City Possum Rescue when the founder brought him in for a meet-and-greet.

"He was so small and understandably scared of everything. I had to make sure he would enjoy life in a busy nature center," Schultz said in a news release. "We kept him in a quiet place where we could introduce new sounds, smells and people slowly."

It only took a few days, but the tiny opossum has already acclimated to its new home - which is an enclosure that's designed to mimic the forest floor where opossums like to wander. It had originally been built for Lily by an eagle scout and a design firm.

The new opossum’s home is a recently installed state-of-the-art enclosure designed to resemble the forest floor inside the nature center. This enclosure, built for Lily, features two dens to ensure comfort and well-being. The project was a collaborat

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Shelby Township has a poll that will run until June 10 to pick a name. Options include Murray, Milo, and Oliver.

If you'd like to participate in the poll, head to this link for more details.