Introduction

He is simply known as The Possum Hunter around North Mecklenburg County and authorities have been tracking him for two years.  Like the animals he is stalking, The Possum Hunter does his work  at night and his weapon of choice is not a firearm but a late model sports car.  His destruction can be seen all over the Lake Norman area as innocent possums lay slain on the side of the road.

The beloved North American Possum population in the Lake Norman area has suddenly declined over the past two years and local officials are concerned that they will soon become a threatened species if The Possum Hunter is not apprehended.  "We have been through this in the past with the Bald Eagle and we're concerned that the North American Possum will be next," said a NC Wildlife spokesperson . "The Possum Hunter must be caught and brought to justice!"  In the meantime, a captive breeding program has been established in Charlotte to help replenish the population in North Mecklenburg County.

Background

Suspicions began in 2004 when a group of Davidson College biology students began studying the effects of habitat destruction of the North American Possum (Didelphis virginiana).  However the ongoing Box Turtle Conservation Study and Everglades Burmese Python Study have limited the funds available to local possum studies.  When a 1945 Davidson graduate learned of the project, she gave a generous gift to continue the research.  "Possums are a beloved animal around Lake Norman and I was overwhelmed by  the college's efforts to studying this animal", said the generous alum.  The research was quickly resumed.

A Gruesome Discovery

Armed with sophisticated tracking devices, the students began humanely trapping, tagging and releasing possums around North Mecklenburg County.  A gruesome discovery was soon revealed. Of the 100 possums that were electronically tracked, 95 of them were found dead on the side of the road.  It was immediately clear to the students that these deaths were the work of a crazed madman weaving and swerving on area roads, knocking off possums like some violent video game.

The Investigation

Davidson College officials quickly notified the town's police.  "Whether it's beating a goose with a golf club or mauling local possums with a vehicle, this kind of behavior will be prosecuted to the fullest extent, " said a school spokesman. Law enforcement from all over Mecklenburg County joined forces in a swift and strategic plan to find the perpetrator.