In a startling incident at an Australian zoo, an orangutan shocked onlookers by forcefully ejecting a possum from its enclosure. The primate’s aggressive eviction of the unwelcome visitor was captured in a viral video, which has garnered attention worldwide.
The video footage depicts the possum being propelled into the air and disappearing from sight after being forcibly launched from a tall metal tower within the Perth Zoo on Australia’s western coast. The alarming incident prompted audible reactions from bystanders, with one person exclaiming, “Oh, my God!”
Following the possum’s airborne expulsion, the orangutan emerges from its enclosure, seemingly to observe where the possum had landed.
When asked about the fate of the possum, a Perth Zoo spokesperson informed Yahoo! News Australia, “I would presume it did not survive the fall. Obviously the loss of any living creature saddens us, but also nature playing out.”
The individual who shared the video on Reddit provided context to the incident, explaining that initially, the orangutan had been “tossing the possum around on the ground.” Subsequently, the orangutan chased the smaller creature up the tower and even resorted to prodding it with a stick.
According to the Reddit user, the possum eventually found itself in another enclosure inhabited by two orangutans.
The zoo spokesperson attempted to mitigate the incident, clarifying that while the zoo maintains a pest control program, there are instances when local wildlife manages to infiltrate the facility, necessitating the animals to take matters into their own hands.
The spokesperson elaborated, “The orangutan habitat is an outside environment, and possums, who also live at height, just like the orangutans, have been known to inhabit the above-ground territories. While every effort is made to catch and remove them, the sheer height provides some challenges, and sometimes the orangutans evict the odd possum themselves.”
Reactions to the viral video have been varied, with some Reddit users applauding the resourcefulness of the orangutan, while others expressed sympathy for the unfortunate possum.
One commenter humorously remarked, “I know tenants are having a hard time paying the rent… but this eviction is a bit rough,” while another suggested that the eviction appeared to be “personal.” Another person compared the possum’s expulsion to an “Olympics level discus throw.”
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However, amidst the humor, some Reddit users couldn’t help but feel empathy for the small, furry mammal, with one writing, “aww poor possum.”