• Outdoors Outdoors

Homeowner chases possums through the house, then realizes there's a third one on the loose

"Despite sneaking into my house, they're safe outside in the shed in the garden."

A person holds a wrapped possum while another leans to tend to a plant indoors.

Photo Credit: TikTok

A couple of homeowners have shared their chaotic footage of two possums loose in their house, before discovering that there was yet another still inside.

What happened?

On TikTok, one of the homeowners, Carmella Hellena, filmed their effort trying to get the animals back outside safely, without hurting them.

Hellena's video starts in the middle of the confusion with the question, "Why is there a possum? Why is there a third possum?"

@carmellahellena For everyone telling me to keep them, I wouldn't be able to choose. Despite sneaking into my house, they're safe outside in the shed in the garden #Opossum #Wildlife #AnimalTok #Unexpected #fyp ♬ original sound - Carmella Hellena

The scramble that follows jumps from furniture to the bathroom and then into a closet as Hellena and the others try to track the possums, manage the dogs, and deal with a lot of understandable panic.

By the end, the possums were returned outdoors. In the caption, Hellena concluded, "Despite sneaking into my house, they're safe outside in the shed in the garden." 

Commenters responded to the footage with appreciation for the rescuers, adoration for the animals, and warnings for the homeowners. 

One wrote "Omg, he was so dang cute! He was like a lil burrito." Another warned, "They will definitely bite you!" 

A third added, "Why can't this ever happen to me," and, "You are so lucky to have them in your yard. They eat spiders, ticks, and other bugs."

Why does it matter?

Wildlife wandering into homes is often part of a bigger pattern. Humans and wild animals are increasingly sharing space. 

And these moments are not always random, but can be a side effect of how and where people build, store food, and manage outdoor spaces.

Houses, sheds, pet food, trash, and warm hiding spots can all attract animals simply looking for shelter or a safe route through a developed area.

That overlap can be risky for everyone involved. A scared wild animal may scratch or bite if cornered, while pets can quickly escalate the situation. From the animal's perspective, getting trapped inside a house is also a major stressor.

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