After stopping to help a baby opossum he found alone on the road, professional MMA fighter Kohl Laren started rescuing other small and vulnerable animals that needed help.
Laren was interviewed by The Dodo about how he found the proper resources and publicized the rescue journey on his social media, which is how he eventually met his best friend, Daisy.
Here's what to know
Laren was biking in Seal Beach when he saw a little opossum alone on the road. He pulled over to move the opossum closer to a bush so it would stay safe, but started second-guessing himself about leaving him there all alone.
"He was shaking and looking at me, and I realized he was just a little baby," Laren told The Dodo. Laren decided to call the little opossum Rodrigo.
He took Rodrigo home, did some research, and found that there were resources that could help him. Thanks to the help, he was able to nurse Rodrigo back to health and finally release him back into the wild. Laren documented the whole ordeal on his social media.
That's how another opossum made his way to Laren: Daisy. Someone in a nearby neighborhood had been trying to get rid of all the nearby opossums, which is how a neighborhood uncovered a little girl hiding in a laundry basket, and they called Laren.
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"I got a phone call about Daisy — she was in a laundry basket," Laren said. "So I picked this little baby up."
Since Daisy was very young and likely didn't have any family, Laren decided to keep her. Now she's the star of his social media.
"I guess I'm a mom now," Laren told The Dodo. "After a week, she loved being held."
What can be done?
Communities can make a difference by supporting rescue networks and sharing contact information for wildlife rehabilitators.
If you want more ideas for supporting efforts close to home, check out the TCD Guide's page on taking local action.
Where can I learn more?
These stories cover baby opossum rescues, crowded wildlife rehab centers, and other animal saves.
• During a lunch ride, cyclists rescue a baby opossum from the road on camera.
• At Toronto Wildlife Centre, injured opossums made it home before another wave arrived.
• At a wildlife center, Virginia opossums tackle a brand-new outdoor course before release.
• On a busy highway, ARC Wildlife Sanctuary volunteers rescue swans weaving in traffic.
• At a Kentucky wildlife rehab, an unanticipated patient arrived: a miracle armadillo.
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