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Little Oliver, barely bigger than a human hand, lay shivering on the damp grass. His tiny pink paws twitched, and his delicate snout sniffed the air, desperately searching for the familiar scent of his mother. Just hours before, he had been clinging tightly to her back, one of a bustling brood of thirteen, as she foraged in a moonlit garden. A sudden bark from a startled dog had sent his mother scrambling, and in the chaos, Oliver had tumbled off, unnoticed in the darkness.

The sun rose, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, but there was no sign of his mother. Oliver was alone, exposed and vulnerable. He whimpered softly, a sound swallowed by the vastness of the yard. Dew clung to his sparse fur, chilling him to the bone. Every gust of wind was a terrifying roar, and every rustle in the leaves was a threat.

Luckily, a young girl named Lily was playing nearby. She spotted the small, helpless creature huddled near a rose bush. A tiny, trembling ball of fur, its heart pounding against its ribs. Remembering a wildlife rescue poster her teacher had shown the class, Lily knew she couldn’t leave him there. She gently scooped up the tiny opossum, placing him carefully in an old shoebox lined with a soft towel. She kept him warm and safe inside her house, a haven from the dangers of the outside world.

Lily’s family quickly contacted a local wildlife rescue center. The woman on the phone explained that unlike some other orphaned animals, baby opossums rarely reunite with their mothers if separated. The mother opossum, focused on the safety of her remaining young, wouldn’t know to search for a lost one. Her survival instinct is to protect the brood she still has on her back, making it vital for humans to intervene when they find a lost baby.

Soon, a kind woman from the rescue center arrived. She carefully examined Oliver, confirming he was healthy but desperately needed warmth and nourishment. Oliver was taken to the center, where he would receive the care he needed until he was old enough to survive on his own. Lily waved goodbye to the little opossum, her heart filled with the knowledge that she had taken action and saved a life that would have otherwise been lost—a tiny testament to the importance of never leaving an orphaned opossum behind.