Remembering Linda the Marvelous Marsupial
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is saddened to announce the passing of its beloved Virginia opossum, Linda. The animal ambassador was 3 years old when she succumbed to failing health.
Linda came to the Museum from Penitentiary Glen after being rehabilitated as a baby. Despite top-notch care, the opossum was deemed non-releasable. Instead, Linda found her permanent home at the Museum.
Upon her arrival, the Museum’s animal-care experts quickly learned that Linda loved quail eggs and puzzle feeders. And when they discovered how much she enjoyed human company, Linda rose to prominence as one of the Museum’s favorite “spokes-animals.”
Though she didn’t reside in the Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center & Woods Garden—Presented by KeyBank, Linda played an important part in the Museum’s educational efforts, which are designed to foster an appreciation for Ohio’s native wildlife. Many Clevelanders saw her up close during school programs, community-outreach initiatives, and other wildlife encounters. Linda served as an ever-present reminder that marsupials can be quite marvelous.
People often misunderstand the opossum’s place in the ecosystem. They focus on the species’ more peculiar traits, such as its long snout or unique defense mechanisms, including growling, hissing, or “playing dead.” But opossums are also fascinating and beneficial.
For example, an opossum’s body temperature is too low for the rabies virus to survive, and the species is immune to numerous toxins, including snake venom. Opossums eat ticks for breakfast (or lunch, or dinner), helping to control tick populations and reduce the spread of Lyme disease. The average life span of an opossum is just 2 years; even opossums in captivity have short lives. With a small window for reproduction, they give birth to large litters. Female opossums have pouches in which to carry their young, but once they are older the babies sometimes ride on the mother’s back while she hunts.
Linda was not only interesting in person; her online presence was larger than life. During the peak of the pandemic, Linda’s Weekly Walks became a social-media phenomenon.
The marsupial set her sights on the stars during a walk through the Museum’s planetarium in August 2020. Later that month, she explored the depths of Earth’s oceans at the Cleveland Aquarium and met another misunderstood creature—the shark. Linda’s journeys continued inside the halls of the Museum. She got a twinkle in her eye in the gem gallery and indulged her curiosity in Smead Discovery Center, where she enjoyed climbing into the room’s nooks and crannies. Though her duration at the Museum was short, Linda lived a rich, adventurous life.
Linda’s time as an animal ambassador will forever be treasured. In honor of her memory, the Museum encourages the community to strive for a deeper appreciation of all nature’s wonders.