A furry traveller is back home in the Toronto area after hitching a ride to Calgary from Brampton, Ont.
A Virginia opossum somehow managed to hide in a truck carrying goods out of the city, approximately 40 kilometres northwest of Toronto.
When the truck arrived in Calgary on Sept. 19, crews unpacking the goods discovered the small stowaway.
"When the opossum was found he was thin and dehydrated, but miraculously still alive," the Toronto Wildlife Centre said in a statement on Thursday.
It was treated in Calgary and arrangements were made for the critter to be flown back to Ontario for further care.
The Toronto Wildlife Centre said the opossum arrived in the Greater Toronto Area on Friday afternoon.
Toronto officials said it was decided that the opossum should be brought back because the species is not found in Calgary.
Officials also believe it's best for wild animals to be released back into their home territory, because they will already know the best spots to find food or shelter. They'll also know where to hide from predators.
An anonymous donor paid for the "wayward traveller" to be flown back to the Toronto area, the centre said.
Veterinarians and rehabilitators will work with the creature until it is ready to be released.
