Possum Mom Found Shot Dead, Rescuers Take In Her Babies

GRANITE BAY (CBS13) - A brood of possums left orphaned after their mother was shot dead has been taken in by rescuers.

Gold Country Wildlife Rescue says, on Sunday, a resident of a mobile home park in Granite Bay saw vultures circling something nearby. They went to investigate and found a possum had been shot dead.

The possum was apparently the mother of 12 babies. One of the babies had also been shot dead, rescuers say, and two others were injured.

Rescuers from Gold Country Wildlife were soon at the scene and scooped up the surviving baby possums. The brood has since been placed in the care of a surrogate possum mom.

The babies seem to be taking to their surrogate mom well, rescuers say.

It is unclear exactly when and where the possum mom and one of her babies were shot dead.

Rescuers aim to return the possum babies to the wild once they grow and are strong enough to venture out on their own.