Skanky Bites the Dust

Remember Old Aunt Windy and Skanky Possum? (Old Mother Westwind Knock Off) Well, if you can, hang on to that thought.

This morning as I was leaving for work, I looked up into my side yard as I was backing out of my drive way and saw a sight that caused my heart to skip a beat. I saw a dead animal in my yard. I feared it was Puff Daddy, a beautiful young feral Ragdoll. The animal I saw was his coloration and all I could see was its back. I slammed on the brakes and drove back into the driveway. I got out of my car, ran to the side yard but as I approached, I could see this.

Is this poor old Skanky? What do you suppose happened to him? He did appear to have a broken tail but no other significant wounds. Do cats kill possums? I have seen them kill squirrels with one swift break of the neck. This is the third dead possum I have found in my yard this year. He is not 'playing possum' either. When I picked him up to dispose of his body, he was stiffer than a board. I know rigor sets in pretty fast. I estimated him to be dead just over night. Poor old skanky thing. Finding these dead animals is just one of the unpleasant tasks of running a 'nature preserve'.