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There may or may not have been a rabid possum at Phillies Spring Training

By Dakota Gardner

The above possum was spotted hanging out at Phillies Spring Training on Wednesday, prompting fears that the critter might be rabid. Evidence in favor of that argument: 

It also saw a position it might be able to fill on the team:

BUT. Before we jump to conclusions about the alleged rabidity, let's hear from the Humane Society:

Opossums are amazingly resistant to rabies. Hissing, drooling, and swaying are part of the opossum's bluff routine. It is intended to scare away potential predators, yet it looks just like rabies and is the reason people can be convinced they're seeing "rabid opossums" when they're not.

Either way, the police weren't taking any chances:

And, eventually, the possum was captured: 

The only tragedy is that we may never know if it was, in fact, rabid. Hopefully, the little guy's doing okay.

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