animal rescue toronto

Toronto man rescues 'dumpster creature' in heartwarming video

Interactions between humans and wild animals are rarely positive in Toronto, however, that doesn't mean our furry friends aren't deserving of love and support from afar. 

In fact, Torontonians have bravely stepped in time and time again to redirect lost animals back to the wild or call 311 for assistance. 

One of these human-wildlife interactions was recently captured in a viral video and uploaded to Reddit, and shows the heartwarming rescue of an opossum from a dumpster in Toronto. 

"I knew it was an opossum by her scream. Even though they look mean, these animals are extremely clean, amazing mothers, and North America's only marsupial," the original poster wrote. 

“THERE IS A CREATURE IN THE DUMPSTER” screamed my fiancé.
by u/jbakelaar in toronto

In the video, a man is seen rescuing the opossum using a shovel after it was trapped in the dumpster. The furry fellow is seen scurrying away as the man uses the shovel once again to throw a piece of paper back into the garbage. 

Many Reddit users praised the man for his calm demeanor, bravery, and his willingness to keep the surrounding area litter-free. 

"Aw, thanks for helping the little guy, and for picking up the trash after! That was the best thing I've seen in a long time," one person wrote. 

"Rescue animal, releasing it with care, avoiding unnecessary touching and cleaned up the trash afterwards. Amazing dude," another comment reads. 

"Thanks for saving the opossum! People don't often realize the big role they play in our ecosystem and think they are just pests, which is very sad," one response notes.

Others called the man a superhero and vowed to vote for him as the next mayor of Toronto. 

"So happy there was a shovel close by in my garbage room. Garbage belongs in the garbage. Opossums belong in the wild," the man wrote. "Took a bit of work but seeing that little chonky butt wiggle away was worth it."

Lead photo by

Kenny Eliason


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