The first opossum sighting of 2024 in Tompkins Square Park

Thanks to EVG reader Richard for this up-close shot from yesterday in Tompkins Square Park. 

There have been opossum sightings through the years in the Park (hence its own EVG opossum tag).

And now some facts about these members of the marsupial order Didelphimorphia:

Opossums' diet includes all types of bugs and insects, including cockroaches, crickets, and beetles. They also eat mice and rats. Nocturnal opossums are attracted to neighborhoods by the availability of water, pet food left out at night, and overripe, rotting fruit.

Odd that opossums would be attracted to this neighborhood — as we have none of these things!

At the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Festival

Photos by Stacie Joy 

The Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Festival — the 32nd of the event FKA Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade — took place this past Saturday. 

On a perfect fall day, crowds descended onto Tompkins Square Park for the event, co-hosted by Dan Schachner, a former NFL referee who now serves as host of the Puppy Bowl, and Jolie Dudley, co-founder of Must Love Dogs and Comedy. (They are pictured below with event organizer Joseph Borduin in the middle.)

The main stage was in the center of the Park, where EVG contributor Stacie Joy was stationed. There was also a second stage on the ballfields/skate area.

As for the hundreds of entrants... standouts included topical costumes, such as the spotted lanternfly and the FBI/Mar-a-Lago presidential papers ... and plenty of pop-cultural outfits (the "Star Wars" franchise is always popular) ... and the Midtown Uniform tribute with Brad and Chad and the bodega kitty, complete with a moveable shop.  Oh, and there was also an opossum.  (You can find a list of the winners here. You can vote for the Best in Show at this link.)

And now just a few of the many contestants...

The Dog Parade/Festival occurred in East River Park in 2018, 2019 and 2021. (That venue is no longer available.) The 2020 pandemic version was mostly virtual, with a small in-person/dog event at Lucky on Avenue B.

Rest easy, citizens of 12th Street — the large animal invader has been slain

The following report showed up on the Citizen app late Sunday night — "large animal invaded home."

The address was listed as a building on 12th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

The report prompted A LOT of speculation — at least in the EVG Instagram Stories.

What could this large animal invader be? A crocodile? A deer? A bobcat? C.H.U.D.? Chupacabra? So many possibilities! (Also, keep in mind that Citizen has posted inaccurate information in the past.) 

Ever-curious EVG contributor Stacie Joy ventured over to the building to learn more about this urban creature/home invader...

Stacie spoke with the super, Oly, who held up the slain beast...

So how did what appears to be a baby mouse on a glue trap end up as a "large animal" home invader? 

Here's what we pieced together based on some Instagram messages and the visit to the building.

The residents of the unit heard a "loud" screeching coming from the kitchen. Living adjacent to a community garden, maybe an opossum found its way into the building and was trapped in an airshaft or in the walls. Thinking it was some kind of animal control situation, they called 311. The 311 operator then told the residents to contact their local police precinct.

It's not clear at the moment how this became a "large animal invader." Perhaps the NYPD was curious, too, as we're told eight officers eventually responded to the scene.

Week in Grieview

Posts from the past week included... 

• East River community group gets action on the release of (heavily redacted) value engineering study (Tuesday) 

• Report of a fatal fire on 5th Street (Friday) 

• Meeting Chef Wayne from the Bowery Mission (Friday) 

• The Union Square Food Emporium looks to be closing at the end of May (Thursday) 

• Police make arrest in fatal punch on 1st Avenue and 11th Street (Tuesday) 

• Checking on in Meat + Bread on Allen Street (Wednesday) 

• Movies theaters prep for reopening (Thursday) 

• Hub Thai debuts new Avenue A space (Thursday) 

• A stroll by a Goya display in this week's NY See (Thursday) 

• Gallery Watch: 'Last Supper' at LatchKey Gallery (Wednesday) 

• This is the new tenant for the NW corner of 2nd Avenue and St. Mark's Place (Wednesday) 

• 787 Coffee opens an outpost on 14th Street (Monday) 

• Catch a wave at this incoming Asian restaurant on 6th Street (Thursday) 

• Report: The Knickerbocker Bar & Grill will be reopening soon on University Place (Wednesday) 

• Mike's Cleaners is closing on Avenue A (Monday) 

• A much-needed beach day for Kita the Wonder Dog of East 10th Street (Wednesday) 

• A new pizzeria for the former Muzzarella Pizza space on Avenue A (Monday)

• Openings: Mi Salsa Kitchen on Allen and Houston; Davidovich Bagels on Avenue A (Monday) 

• When Charles the dog blasted Daft Punk on 2nd Avenue in a video directed by Spike Jonze (Sunday)

• 347 E. 4th St. sells; conversion to residential use is in the works (Tuesday) 

• The first opossum sighting of 2021 in Tompkins Square Park (Wednesday) 

• About Nudibranch, bringing a pop-up tasting menu to 130 1st Ave. this month (Friday) 

• Leasing underway at Stella LES on Avenue C and Houston (Wednesday) 

• Construction watch: 799 Broadway (Tuesday) 

• New signage for the incoming Greenwich Marketplace on 4th Avenue (Monday)

... and I Know! I Know! This used to be such a nice, safe neighborhood... via the Citizen app...

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The first opossum sighting of 2021 in Tompkins Square Park

We got a really good look at the (an?) opossum today in Tompkins Square Park... Steven took these photos... the last sighting in November 2020 came late in the afternoon, and the opossum was hiding in some holly bushes. Not today though...

There were multiple opossum sightings in late 2017. Remember Opie aka Nicodemus Punch Sugarpop?

Previously on EV Grieve:
• The opossum has pretty much made Tompkins Square Park her/his home now

• The opossum of Tompkins Square Park — now on video

• Opossum where art thou?

• Opossum drama in Tompkins Square Park

Oh look at the opossum in Tompkins Square Park

An EVG reader shared these photos from Tompkins Square Park today ... where an opossum was spotted lurking in some holly bushes... right there!

Nearly three years have passed since our last opossum sighting here (whatever happened to Nicodemus Punch Sugarpop aka Parachute ChingChing Yanoonoo aka Opie...?) 

Updated 7:30 p.m. 

Steven and Eden had a sighting this evening...

Previously on EV Grieve:
• The opossum has pretty much made Tompkins Square Park her/his home now

• The opossum of Tompkins Square Park — now on video

• Opossum where art thou?

• Opossum drama in Tompkins Square Park

This afternoon in squirrel photos

From Tompkins Square Park today, riachung00 shares this photo of a (the?) blond-tailed squirrel...



... one of the elusive members of the Park's wildlife, a group that includes the black crowned night heron and opossum (and I don't know what happened to the oppossum).

Week in Grieview

[Caught in the rain on Avenue A via Derek Berg]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

Q&A with the authors of the "Rock & Roll Explorer Guide to New York City" (Thursday)

Printed Matter will have a bookstore inside the Swiss Institute's new 2nd Avenue home (Tuesday)

Funny business: Comedy club replacing comedy club on 4th Street (Monday)

The latest I Am a Rent-Stabilized Tenant (Friday)

At Dual Specialty Store (Thursday)

Don't be surprised to see a human take your order (and cash) at the Astor Place Shake Shack (Monday)

Tinkersphere leaves 5th Street for the Lower East Side (Friday)

An injured opossum on Avenue B (Monday)

The former East Village Cheese space has a new tenant on 7th Street (Friday)

Bareburger making its Orchard Street debut (Thursday)

Moxy East Village arrives at the lobby level (Monday)

Pink Bear Ice Cream and Steam Rice Roll has apparently closed on 14th Street (Tuesday)

Cafe Zaiya has closed on Cooper Square (Wednesday)

About the bar-restaurant proposed for 2 St. Mark's Place (Tuesday)

2 years later, 136 2nd Ave. ready for its restaurant (Wednesday)

Hot Box looking ready to debut on 2nd Avenue (Monday)

Report: Ravi DeRossi bringing Fire & Water to 7th Street (Tuesday)

... and something for the birds on St. Mark's Place... photo by EVG reader Hansley Yunez...



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An injured opossum on Avenue B

Photos and report by Mark Cyr...

Last night, the NYPD found an opossum lying on Avenue B, near Seventh Street along Tompkins Square Park, where a car had been parked. The opossum was alive and looking around at onlookers, but making no effort to move. In the words of the NYPD officer holding back the crowd of onlookers, "He is playing possum. We don't know what he might do."



An NYPD Emergency Services Unit (ESU) was called to deal with the opossum.

An NYPD officer explained that the NYPD's job was to remove any wildlife found at ground level. The ESU officers waited for an animal crate to be brought and then they dropped a loop over the opossum's head and moved him into the crate. The ESU officers said the opossum did not resist.







The ESU officers said that the opossum appeared to have a broken leg. They thought he had probably fallen asleep under a parked car and gotten hurt when the car drove away. They said the opossum would be taken to animal rescue for evaluation. The crowd applauded as the opossum crate was carried away.

This opossum was gray, not white. This does not seem to be the same opossum I photographed in Tompkins Square Park, in December.

FLASHBACK... to December


[Photo by Mark Cyr]

So to recap, the opossum the NYPD took away last evening is NOT Nicodemus Punch Sugarpop aka Parachute ChingChing Yanoonoo aka Opie...

Previously on EV Grieve:
The opossum has pretty much made Tompkins Square Park her/his home now

The opossum of Tompkins Square Park — now on video

Opossum where art thou?

Opossum drama in Tompkins Square Park

Week in Grieview

[Last night at Royal Tailor on 11th Street]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

Pile driving for new building on Avenue C prompts arrival of crack monitors next door (Wednesday)

At the annual Mr. Lower East Side Pageant (in Queens) (Monday)

Jimmy Carbone and Paloma Rocket collaborating on new venture for the Jimmy's No. 43 space (Tuesday)

The latest I Am a Rent-Stabilized Tenant (Friday)

Honoring actor Joseph Sirola at Theatre 80 on St. Mark's Place (Monday)

Bad news for fans of Siggy's Good Food (Wednesday)

Still House relocating to 9th Street (Friday)

Clay Pot opens on St. Mark's Place (Tuesday)

A London-based hairdresser gave free haircuts to the homeless in Tompkins Square Park (Tuesday)

Avant-Garde-Arama at Performance Space grand re-opening (Thursday)

Retail for rent signs arrive for Steiner East Village storefronts (Tuesday)

A look at the former GG's space on 5th Street (Friday)

McSorley's turns 164 (Monday)

A spin through Downtown Yarns on Avenue A (Thursday)

Awaiting repairs for a sidewalk vault on 4th Street (Wednesday)

All is quiet at 75 1st Ave. (Thursday)

Last weekend for the Stone on Avenue C (Thursday)

Report: Financial firm takes the Death Star penthouse (Wednesday)

Chat 'N Chew reboot opens (Tuesday)

...and an opossum update from last night in Tompkins Square Park...

Opossum spotting! Dog barking at poor Opie up in his tree! @evgrieve pic.twitter.com/NiXovGhM0O

— EdenBrower (@edenbrower) February 25, 2018

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Triang hawk relations: Updates on Christo, Dora and Not-Dora/Nora

Steven took this photo of Christo and Not-Dora/Nora (on the right) yesterday atop the Christodora House on Avenue B.

As previously reported, Christo, the red-tailed hawk of Tompkins Square Park, has been spotted several times in the companionship of this hawk while his longtime partner Dora continues to recuperate from an injured wing suffered in late November.

Goggla had an update on Dora back on Thursday:

[A]s of this week, her wounds have healed, but she is still unable to fly. She is still in the care of WINORR and we are hoping she can exercise her wing and regain strength. I really miss her and I think maybe Christo does, too. I try not to anthropomorphize and project my feelings onto him, but he has been acting sullen and surly since she's been away.

Goggla has more on Christo, Not-Dora/Nora and a juvenile red-tailed hawk in this post.

Meanwhile, Christo has been working on a nest (pro tip: complete the bathroom first) ... one can hopefully speculate that this is in anticipation of Dora's return...




[Nest photos by Steven]

And from yesterday, Christo eating something...


[Photo by Bobby Williams]

P.S.

I have not personally seen the opossum in the Park lately ... but there have been several sightings this past week. Perhaps we'll have some photographic evidence soon. Because people have asked about the opossum.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Scandal in Tompkins Square Park as Christo courts new hawk while Dora recuperates

The 'other' hawk

Get well soon, Dora!

Holiday week recap

[Sledding in Tompkins Square Park Saturday via Derek Berg]

A few stories from last week...

• Out and About in the East Village 2017 recap and news about 2018 (Wednesday)

• Report: 9th Street resident battling with Kushner Cos. to clean up black mold infestation (Thursday)

• Pizza Rollio bringing its skinny slices to 9th Street (Tuesday)

• Residential conversion underway at 180 2nd Ave.; the Ninth Ward expected to return (Thursday)

• Neapolitan Express pulling into 29 2nd Ave. (Wednesday)

• The opossum of Tompkins Square Park — now on video (Thursday)

• The EVG 2017 recap (Friday ... Saturday)

• Remembering a few of our friends and neighbors who died in 2017 (Sunday)

• Classic Man Barber Lounge coming to 9th Street (Wednesday)

• Free scarves along the East River Promenade (Dec. 25)

• Crunch time at the Kellogg's NYC Café on Union Square (Wednesday)

• Malcriada morphing into Bar Taco on Avenue C (Tuesday)

• Report: The SBS15 has the worst on-time arrival in the MTA fleet (Tuesday)

• Thank you for 35 years of reheating leftovers and other microwaving activities (Friday)

• Former Wall 88 space for rent on 2nd Avenue (Tuesday)

• Window watch at 32 E. 1st St. (Tuesday)

The opossum of Tompkins Square Park — now on video

[Photo from Dec. 20 by Cheyenne]

Here's your weekly report on Nicodemus Punch Sugarpop, the opossum who recently (and mysteriously!) showed up in Tompkins Square Park.

Goggla has some photos and videos of the opossum, interacting with some squirrels, a rat and Christo, the red-tailed hawk. Head on over here for all the opossum action.

Meanwhile, here's one of the videos showing some dining action...

Week in Grieview

[Someone tossed a P from Stomp on St. Mark’s Place]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

AG's office: Steve Croman agrees to pay $8 million to the tenants he harassed (Thursday)

Workers remove the sculpture fence and prep lot at 89 1st Ave. (Wednesday)

Paquito's Restaurant closing after 25 years on 1st Avenue; take out and delivery will remain (Tuesday)

Neighbor: East Village Cheese, closed now for 2 weeks, is starting to smell (Thursday) ... and a co-owner spotted clearing out the space (Friday)

Santa delivers sacks of coal to Madison Realty Capital, Rafael Toledano's lenders (Friday)

Hotel Tortuga, now with morning espresso service on 14th Street (Wednesday)

Partial vacate order and violations for sidewalk-collapse building on 4th Street (Monday)

Presenting Mercury East Presents, which brings together several local music venues (Tuesday)

How many East Village properties do the Kushner Cos. actually own? (Wednesday)

Pinky's Space bringing quick-serve food options to 1st Street (Monday)

Opossum action (Friday ... Wednesday)

GG's closes on Fifth Street (Friday)

The Ainsworth East Village debuts on 3rd Avenue (Tuesday)

Icon's 9th Street townhouse now available for $17 million (Tuesday)

Out East has not been open the last few days (Thursday)

Viking Waffles signage arrives on Avenue C (Monday)

Reader report: Beware the Amazon Fire TV Stick (Monday)

Westside Market opening in the former Met Foods space on 3rd Avenue and 17th Street (Tuesday)

Some Steiner East Village retail speculation (Monday)

... and several readers noted this bike-lock job on 10th Street and Third Avenue...


[Photo via EVG reader Doug]

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