Woman living in Birmingham apartment finds opossum sitting on pillow

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - A woman living in Birmingham found an opossum on top of her pillow right as she was headed to sleep Friday night.

Now the woman wants to move out of HighPointe Apartments for her safety and that of her three young children.

“I had just made that bed,” said Keontranice Bester. “I was like OK -- take a shower. I’ll get in and get comfortable. Flick the light on. The little opossum just crawled on through. When he seen me, he just turned like...I’m thinking he’ll be more scared of me than I am of him. Well all right then buddy, you can have this. It’s your room cause I’m about to go.”

That offender is forcing Bester out of her bed, her room, and now her apartment.

“He just sitting up there like he own it,” she describes. “Like, if you want to pay this rent buddy -- so be it...I don’t even feel comfortable staying here.”

She’s wanting to leave the apartment complex because of the opossum and a mold issue.

Bester and her three young children ages 2, 4, and 5 are now staying at her mom’s place.

“I have three smaller kids,” she said. “That’s a safety hazard, you know? Immune systems are not as strong as they used to be, right along with COVID and new viruses and strains coming around. I wouldn’t take a risk. I wouldn’t take a chance.”

She first noticed a hole in a wall on Friday hours before finding the critter that night. She believes something chewed the drywall to get through.

Bester says a maintenance worker came out Friday night to capture the marsupial, but the hole in the wall remains. It’s worrisome to Bester because other marsupials or animals could make their way inside.

“He was told that they was going to contact the contractors to come out Saturday,” she explained. “Here it is Wednesday. As you see, that same hole is still there. Nobody came out.”

We visited the leasing office together to speak with the property manager and Bester left with a paper releasing her from the lease with no penalty. She will also get her deposit back.

Bester says she is ready to move forward and find a better environment, hoping to be completely moved out by this weekend.

The property manager of HighPointe said it was an unfortunate situation, adding they work to address every situation in a timely manner.

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