Grubby the stowaway opossum captured after nearly 2 months in Alaska


May 26 (UPI) -- An opossum that hitched a ride to Alaska in a shipping container has been caught after nearly two months and will have a new permanent home at the Alaska Zoo, officials said.

The Homer Police Department said in a Facebook post that an officer "observed a wanted fugitive and somewhat local celebrity on the lam near Lakeside Drive and Smokey Bay."



The officer "attempted to apprehend the suspect, who then let out a little hiss and growl and bit our officer in the hand," the post said.

The "suspect," an opossum on the loose in the area since late March, was taken into custody without further incident.

The opossum, dubbed "Grubby" by city officials after first being seen on Grubstake Avenue in Homer, was turned over to the Homer Fish and Game office.

Fish and Game officials said opossums are not native to the state and raised concerns about the effect the animal could have on the local ecosystem. They had earlier announced Grubby would be euthanized, but said after the capture that the animal will now live out the rest of her life at the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage.

"There's some educational benefits about invasive species, or similar species, that can be used to educate people," zoo director Pat Lampi told the Anchorage Daily News.