First reported by Press Enterprise and further developed by WNEP, news of the animal cruelty involving a possum at Bloomsburg has spread like wildfire. Posted by university student Morgan Ehrenzeller, the still photos of a snapchat video depict a opossum being forced to drink alcohol, kissed, and then tossed into a trash can.
Bloomsburg University acknowledged yesterday through social media that the situation was being taken seriously and that the Dean of Students had begun an investigation. In a follow-up post today, Bloomsburg University stated on Facebook,
“Our investigation continues into the incident involving animal cruelty. We are taking this matter very seriously and do not condone the actions depicted on social media.
Any Bloomsburg University student involved will be subject to the Student Code of Conduct. Any outcomes of the judicial process will be confidential per the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
The university is aware this matter is also being investigated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.”
Earlier in the day a WNEP reporter was quoted stating,
“The Game Commission says it is trying to get the full story. Possible charges wouldn’t involve abuse or cruelty citations. The Game Commission would consider if this is a case of possession of wildlife or disturbance/harassment of wildlife.”
When contacted for comment, a spokesperson from the Northeast Region of the Game Commission said that the investigation was still open. This was in relation to not charging those in the video with animal cruelty.
When contacted for comment about the same issue, a WNEP spokesperson stated that the reporter on this story had been in the field all day and that the information had not yet been collected. When asked about the reporter’s comment that charges would not include animal cruelty, the spokesperson stated that there would be another report with additional information airing tonight at 5 or 6 p.m.
