Orinda Marks 10-Year Anniversary of the Infamous Opossum Infestation

Source: Taken by unknown resident, prior to being overcome by a passel of opossums(1)

Orinda, CA – This month marks the tenth anniversary of the opossum infestation that famously nearly tore the Orinda community apart in 2014. The unusual crisis, remembered for its bizarre twists and intense community response, is being looked back on as a significant moment in the city’s history.

Back in 2014, Orinda was overwhelmed by an unprecedented surge of opossums, which infiltrated homes, gardens, and public spaces, causing widespread distress. The situation escalated to such an extent that then-Mayor Mark Andrews stepped in to guide the community through the ordeal. “He was on local access channel 473 every day, providing his tips and theories. Some of them were helpful, like opening up a Roth IRA, others were not, like Birkenstocks sandals would stop an opossum in its tracks. His leadership during those trying times is still praised by many residents and may have been his path to a position in state government.

One of the most memorable episodes was the community’s effort to barricade areas with sandbags, only to discover that opossums could easily climb over them. In a desperate move to repel the creatures, Andrews then urged the community to play bassoon music loudly, acting on rumors that the sound repelled opossums. "It was a week of relentless bassoon music, but unfortunately, it didn’t work. In fact, it left most of us with a lasting aversion to anything that sounds like a bassoon," recalled a local resident.

The infestation also led to bizarre behavior, such as the hoarding of Q-tips and Brillo pads. Although it was never clear why these items became so coveted, their shortage was keenly felt across Orinda, forcing residents to travel to Moraga or Lafayette to procure them.

Many remember the late Father Seamus McMurtry of Our Lady of Perpetual Pain, holding a midnight vigil during the crisis, with many community members feeling as though they were experiencing a biblical plague. “It was like God had gone all Old Testament on us,” stated Bob Choad, age 78.

The community was deeply divided on how to handle the situation, with some suspecting that residents of nearby Lafayette were deliberately trapping and releasing opossums in Orinda to boost their own local retail traffic.

It was later discovered that a change in the type of mulch used at the Orinda Country Club, which attracted opossums like catnip, was to blame for the sudden influx. “ Next time, we will read the label before applying a mulch product,” stated Carol Cantor, Director of golf course operations at the Orinda Country Club.

Now, a decade later, some community members are proposing the erection of a monument to commemorate the ordeal and the lessons learned. However, others feel that it might still be too soon to memorialize such a contentious chapter in the town’s history. Some remember the Opossum Cook Book, which was hastily compiled by Patsy Plume. Although well-meaning, people found that chicken was a better substitute than opossum for each recipe. Many members of the community still won't admit to serving their families opossum during the height of the crises.” It was cheap and plentiful. Who’s to judge.” stated a community member who did not want their name or likeness used in this article.

As Orinda reflects on the ten-year anniversary of the opossum infestation, the event serves as a reminder of the community’s resilience and capacity to come together under even the most bizarre circumstances. While the memories might be mixed, the story of the 2014 opossum invasion remains a unique and unforgettable part of Orinda’s heritage.

1) Passel is the correct term for a group of opossum. The Tattler is committed to limiting its use of footnotes unless entirely necessary or to increase the word count of an article.