‘I turn all the burners on’: Mississippi man begins to cook breakfast on his griddle. Then he spots something unusual already in there

Breakfast prep doesn't usually come with surprises. But griddles and their warm, enclosed nooks apparently look a lot like prime real estate to certain small animals.

One Mississippi man found that out the moment he went to fire his griddle up.

‘And look what's inside where the burners are'

Mississippi content creator Jonathan Wilkes (@notafan478) shared what he found while getting ready to cook. His video has since accumulated more than 102,000 views.

“I started getting ready to cook on my griddle this morning,” Wilkes said, turning the camera toward the griddle in question. “I turned all the burners on. And look what's inside where the burners are.”

Bringing the camera close to a gap in the griddle, Wilkes revealed a juvenile opossum tucked comfortably inside. Its eyes were wide, its ears perked up, and its nose sniffed at the camera. Viewers took to his comment section to crow with delight.

“Looks like you're gonna have a pet possum,” one wrote. Wilkes liked the comment. Another commented, “Awe he was looking at you like ‘oh hey dad,' poor little guy, I'd definitely have to keep him.”

Multiple commenters cooed over the opossum being “just a baby.” One joked about how it was posted up in the griddle, writing, “Not him sittin in there like sir please don't cook me.” 

“Well looks like that a baby bed and breakfast now and no longer a griddle sir,” one viewer commented. Another wrote, “Awe I need a grittle that comes with a baby opossum. Mine must be broken.”

@notafan478 #possum #wildlife ♬ original sound – Jonathan Wilkes

Is this a normal way for a young opossum to seek shelter?

Wilkes' unexpected houseguest wasn't acting that out of character, as it turns out. According to the Oklahoma Wildlife Authority, opossums are opportunistic when it comes to shelter. They “often take advantage of existing shelter rather than building their own dens,” commonly setting up shop in “sheds, decks, and wooded edges.” Because opossums don't hibernate and stay active year-round, they're consistently on the hunt for sheltered spots near structures, regardless of season.

Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources advises that a young opossum measuring more than 9 inches from snout to rump is generally old enough, at roughly four months, to be out on its own. This means if a juvenile—or “joey”—is alone, like Wilkes' was, it isn't necessarily an orphan in need of rescue.

Furthermore, grills and griddles turn out to be recurring hot spots for Wilkes-meets-opossum-style encounters. CBS News reported in 2019 that police in Chester, New Hampshire had to rescue an opossum that had climbed into a gas grill. Fittingly, the home where the rescue took place was literally on Opossum Drive. Officers “honestly thought it was a joke at first.”

That same year, Vice reported on a viral case of an entire opossum family, including newborns, finding a home. This particular gaggle of opossums took up residence in a backyard grill's utensil drawer. The grill's owner appeared to have no problem with the situation, allowing the family to continue living and thriving within the drawer.

Buzz News has reached out to Wilkes via TikTok comment.