A distressed woman called Dunedin police to say she was being held hostage in her Blacks Rd home late last night - by a particularly aggressive possum.
Senior Sergeant Craig Dinnissen said the woman reported that when she attempted to leave her house and reach her car the possum would charge, making her turn and flee back inside.
When police arrived soon after 11pm, they discovered a juvenile possum which, when they approached the door, appeared out of the dark and climbed an officer's leg.
Police suspected it was either an escaped pet or had recently been separated from its mother.
The possum, dubbed the "Blacks Road Ripper", was subsequently taken further up Signal Hill and released into the wild in order to prevent further harassment, Snr Sgt Dinnissen said.
