Kayaker talks saving pregnant possum

Eric Markt found possum in Biscayne Bay

MIAMI – A kayaker explained why he decided to rescue a pregnant possum he found swimming in Biscayne Bay.

"At first I thought it was a dog," said Eric Markt. "I thought it was a small dog."

Markt then realized it was a possum. And she was pregnant.

"When I saw it was a possum, I almost kept paddling. I'm like, you know, it's a possum. It's somewhat of a nuisance, some people would say," he said. "As soon as I saw that she was pregnant, it was time to get her back to safety so she could rest and, you know, circle of life and everything."

Markt put the possum on the bow of his kayak and headed back to the shore.

"She was maybe swimming from one of the small islands near Dinner Key, trying to get back to shore," he said.

"Right This Minute," an ABC program, featured Markt's rescue.

"The possum whisperer. I got a t-shirt from Amazon [that says] 'Awesome possum.' You know, it's my fifteen minutes," he said. "I'd like to think that I saved the other possums. Sorry to my neighbors for introducing baby possums to the neighborhood."

Markt joked that he expects future animal rescues from himself.

"I'm an animal lover so I felt it was the right thing to do and now when I go out kayaking since then, I'm waiting for whatever animals are going to come swim up and have me save them," he added.