A few days ago I spotted somebody's cat that was sitting in my front lawn at about 10pm. As I have rabbits in the back, I monitor closely for any predators. After this, the cat was seen a few more times sitting on top of the neighbor's fence (always after dark). It wouldn't go away even after I approached. The neighbor doesn't like people walking thru his lawn so I prepared avocado to shoot into the cat to scare it off if I see him again
Tonight, when it was getting dark, I took my daughter for a bike ride around the neighborhood to see if we spot that cat again. I circled around a few more times alone, then locked my bike, decided to take a final look in the direction where the cat was usually seen on the fence, before driving off to the store.
I shone my flashlight in that direction... nobody's on the fence. I was about to leave. Then, all of a sudden, the beam stumbled on something... somebody... that looked like nobody I have seen before. The animal was sitting on top of MY chain link fence that surrounds my backyard. I was shining my flashlight right into the animal (it was opossum) but it didn't run away as I expected. Honestly, I freaked out... I though that now it would jump into my yard and go eat my rabbits despite my presence (2 of them were sitting under the deck and another - under the bush). He was sitting and showing me all his sharp teeth.
Another huge luck was that there was a broom with long handle in my arm reach that I grabbed and used to push opossum. It didn't help. I had to push 2 more times to finally get him down to another side of my fence (into my neighbor's side yard). Then, I lost his sight as I probably paid attention to my bunnies...
A lot of coincidence this evening. 1) I was already looking for somebody and it helped me spot opossum. 2) the broom is NEVER there, usually it's far away. 3) the moment I came there was right. If he was on the ground, I would probably miss him as I was looking high above on top of the fence (the fence where the cat was is a different, wooden, much higher than my metal chain link fence)
After this, my rabbits were immediately taken inside the garage.
We have been here for 6+ years. Rabbits are here for 4 years. Never seen anybody around except occasional cat.
I am thinking - can it be that avocado (I left it in the back year to have it handy for the cat shooting) attracted opossum???
Now I am wondering if I could injure him when pushed him with the broom off the fence.
I guess the story to be continued...

It worries me that the possum was so unafraid. It makes me wonder about rabies. They're wild animals, they should run away when a human comes that close.

I have read that rabies are EXTREMELY rear in possums.
Another thing that I read is that they don't stay in the same location for more than 2-3- days. Not sure how true...
also, I read that usually they don't kill any live animals... they just pick up what is left after others. There are also some wild rabbits around.

The spooky thing... I was checking the territory once again at 3am. The neighbor has a tractor on the side of his house. An animal was sitting under his tractor as I could see refection of the eyes in my light. Probably a cat..

for us, it means that as soon as it's getting dark, I will need to take my rabbits into shelter

I come across mentioning in the internet like "possum isn't afraid of me - what to do". Maybe it isn't very uncommon thing?

Shoot an opossum with an avocado? What does this mean? Do you have a bow and arrow and were going to put the avocado on the arrow? I can't help it, I need to know.

LOL originally I intended to scare off the cat. But because I couldn't get close enough as it was sitting rather far from my territory (and my neighbor really sensitive to people walking on his grass - what a brat LOL) , I thought that throwing something from the distance was the only thing I could do. I couldn't find anything like a small ball (baseball? tennis ball?) but I recalled I bought an avocado that was staying hard as rock (thus, not good to eat). I brought it to the back yard but didn't get a chance to throw to anybody so far
Sorry for confusion. It makes no much sense to throw avocado into a possum - he would probably be glad to eat it

oh, my! This made me laugh so hard.

I am glad it made you laugh but I wasn't laughing at all ))

Yesterday he was probably very surprised of a human confronting him with the broom, he probably hasn't faced anything like this for his whole life I had hoped this experience would deter him from my yard, but no - he was seen again this night. He apparently was running on top of the tall wooden fence, I have some bushes growing by the fence, I could only see his rat-like tail before he disappeared in the bushes (still on top of the fence)

I am considering getting some wire with spikes to attach to the top of the fence - do you think I should or shouldn't? I don't want to hurt any animal, squirrels run on the fence too.

Wow what excitement.... lol throwing an avocado at a possum.... Oh dear.... it must have been very frightening for you even more so for the rabbits....
I'm sometimes glad to live in the UK.... Ive never come into contact with many of these animals, you have in Oz.... did see some from afar when I visited....
I don't know what you can do about it....

Well the more I read the less frightened I am
seems like they are rather harmless... but certain precaution must be taken.
Not good if they decide to breed in a near proximity or if they manage to get in the house or garage... The guy next to me has a huge territory (this is where the den is right now.. possum comes from his side) and I have no control over what my neighbor does or doesn't do.
We have a creek maybe half a mile from here, thanks goodness I don't live right next to it (over there all sorts of animals probably live). There is no water source right here and we are very close to a large traffic intersection... All combined is probably what kept us safe all this years but the situation can change, as I can see