THE DAILY WIRE · OKLAHOMA, USA · 2026-09-07
Oklahoma Wildlife Officials Release Call Log, Humans Come Off Looking Worse
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife has published a list of bizarre calls it has fielded from residents, and if this columnist's sources are correct, the animals come off looking downright reasonable by comparison.
According to ParadePets' coverage, the list has drawn wide attention online for the sheer strangeness of some public inquiries, though specifics of the calls themselves were not detailed beyond the department's general amusement at their own inbox.
Webster has spent decades fielding tips from panicked callers who mistake possums for portents and moths for omens. He extends professional solidarity to whichever overworked hotline staffer had to log these calls with a straight face.
For a native perspective, this desk consulted Rusty, a roadside armadillo with strong opinions about being misidentified over the phone, ending on a note about public wildlife literacy.
The department has not indicated whether the list will be updated annually. Webster, for one, hopes it becomes a tradition.
“Folks around here call the wildlife hotline over things that are just me minding my business, I promise you that possum wasn't 'plotting' anything. Armadillos jump about three feet straight up when we're scared, so maybe that's what they saw and panicked.” — Rusty, roadside armadillo
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