There is a commit Florida that developed a 12-foot-substantial monument in the middle of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone may possibly love to do that?
Nicely, to start with, heroes consider effort and time to investigation On this area in Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, residence of beneath 500 people in the center of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero understandably? Nobody else places the possum which has a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, back 1982, Wausau acquired Ill and Sick and tired of staying neglected Along with the Florida lists of enjoyable, fairs and festivals. Each commit Florida needs a festival. And never one place in position Florida includes a Possum Festival. Why don't you Wausau?
If you haven't been to Washington County, you probably will Feel I'm producing this up. If you have long gone to Washington County, you can recognize - and know This may be a legitimate story.
Wausau, it proved, experienced some fairly powerful possum politicians through the early '80s. Listed here are several things they accomplished:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led to the making Using the monument alongside Point out Highway seventy seven in Wausau.

They even obtained The us Congress to market the possum. Congress joined the fun via furnishing the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could have a place to support Possum Removal Melbourne its annual Exciting Day and Possum Pageant. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, amid other points, the Competition draws in plenty of individuals Each and every and each and every year, in addition they adore it.
Trip for a few educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum is equivalent lowly animal you get in touch with opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will perform?) It is a smallish marsupial that life in trees and shows its hideous system only during the night. This is exactly why, when you're inside the right spend Florida, you can listen to possum hunters' canines baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so It's going to be not challenging to catch (or shoot) one.
An inscription to the monument in the middle of Wausau cites the possum's function in giving 'both of those fur and meals' from the full generations. It goes to say: 'Their presence here has provided a resource of nutritious and flavorful meals in typical moments and is made up of been a significant enable to human survival through instances of distress and significant require.'
Chortle in the event you'd desire. The individuals of Wausau will giggle together with you - although downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.