Aussie woman stumped over mess made by mystery 'house guest'
The unusual discovery had people guessing what could have caused it.
A woman's mysterious find in her home has sparked a debate on what "house guest" could be wreaking such havoc.
The Sydney woman based in the Sutherland Shire discovered the mess on the ground floor — appearing to be comprised of wood chips — in her laundry room, inside a cupboard she "does not use very often".
Perplexed, she took to social media for answers, mentioning her family also hear "something moving in the roof at night".
"Any ideas what kind of guest I have in my house?" she said on a Sutherland Shire community group. "We have a dog but he didn't do that. I don't believe it's a mouse.... I think the shaft on the right connects to the roof."
The Sydney local was met with a variety of answers including rats, possums, bandicoots (a protected nocturnal species) and even a snake.
"I think you have an entire zoo there," one person joked. Some pointed out it could be a snake or larger animal because of the "curve" in the wood chips, but the woman explained it was simply from her mop bucket when moving it out of the way to take a photo.
Possum 'very likely' to be the cause
Director of ABC Pest Control Warren Bailey told Yahoo News Australia a possum is "very likely" the culprit.
"It's not a rat otherwise you'd see droppings there and its definitely not a snake," he said. He theorised the possum could've chewed through the wood — something they commonly do — to enter the home through the roof, however he couldn't be sure solely based off the photo.
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In Australia, ringtail and brushtail possums are a familiar sight, with both species having to adapt to urban environments if they don't have sufficient natural habitat to live in. The protected species are often seen foraging in gardens, sheds and in the ceilings of houses and buildings.
How to deter possums
To stop the animal from entering the home, Warren recommended buying a one-way door, which allows the possum to leave the area and prevent it from re-entering. He also encouraged people to call a professional to block off the entry points.
If you see an injured possum on your property, contact your local council or wildlife rescuer.
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