Brett Ingram didn’t expect to celebrate Christmas with an early guest, but she went viral after finding an opossum in her Christmas tree.
According to Fox News, Ingram, 29, a media marketing manager based in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, said she heard a sneeze, which got her attention.
“I kept working thinking I was maybe just hearing things. Then I heard it again with some other squeaking noises,” she said. “As I’m down crouched behind [my couch], I look over to the left and I just see his tail. A long, naked, rat-looking tail,” she added.
Then she noted, “I stopped and kind of looked up some more and saw a large breathing ball of gray fur.”
Upon finding the surprise gift in her tree, she stated that her only thoughts were of the animal’s well-being.
She stated, “I just didn’t want to hurt him. I was really just calling for concern [to see] if babies were in [the animal’s] pouch,” per Fox News.
“I started to try to get him out, but he was holding onto the branches. He had some strength because he was big,” she went on.
Ingram wore gloves to make the removal easier, but the critter decided to rock around the Christmas tree.
“He ran behind the tree under the other couch and I kept moving it, and he would just do it again over and over,” she said, via Fox News.
She continued seeking to help the opossum get back outside to enjoy the winter wonderland and eventually was able to cradle it in her arms “like a cat or dog.”
Ingram posted her find to TikToc, where millions of viewers witnessed the find. In the footage, the opossum sat among garland and ornaments like a rare Christmas decoration waiting to be found.
She said the animal may have been inside her home for at least a couple of days before she found it, though she’s unsure how it got inside.
Ingram safely released the animal due to remaining calm and choosing to “assess its behavior” so that everyone involved can enjoy a merry Christmas.
