A forest preserve police officer helped rescue a baby opossum from the roadway after the animal watched his family get run over and killed by a car in Lake County.
Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation said on Monday that the incident occurred on Sunday.
The opossum, dubbed “Major Crimes Investigator Sherlock,” was rescued by Lake County Forest Preserves Police Ranger Molly Marie Carl.
The opossum was the sole survivor after his mother and siblings were all run over by a car near Barrington.
Carl saw the baby opossum standing in the middle of the road amid the carnage.
She rescued him and brought him to Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation.
The organization is a licensed non-profit wildlife rehabilitation center based in Barrington that cares for injured and orphaned wildlife.
He arrived wrapped in Carl’s Major Crimes t-shirt, which is why he was nicknamed “Major Crimes Investigator Sherlock.”
The opossum did not suffer any injuries and is being kept with other opossums that are his age.
Flint Creek Wildlife said the baby opossum is too young to survive on his own and will be at the rehab center for at least two months.
Carl said the Lake County Forest Preserves relies heavily on Flint Creek Wildlife to take care of many injured little creatures that rangers find.
“Recently they took an injured hawk from us, and it’s also doing very well! It’s not easy and is often round the clock hours caring for wildlife. They are highly skilled and dedicated and deserve a huge round of applause for their tireless work,” she said.