Orphaned baby possum warms hearts, snuggles toy kangaroo
"Bettina" the Bushtail Possum Photo courtesy: PaulFahy/Taronga Wildlife Hospital
SYDNEY, Australia - An orphaned Brushtail Possum joey is being cared for at the Taronga Wildlife Hospital in Sydney, Australia, with a little help from a soft toy kangaroo!
Vet nurse Felicity Evans has taken on the role of surrogate mum to the four-month-old possum, carrying a makeshift pouch and waking in the middle of the night to bottle feed the joey.
The female joey, who Felicity has nicknamed “Bettina”, was brought to Taronga Wildlife Hospital in September, after being found alone and suffering from dehydration.
The joey received emergency first aid and has since made a remarkable recovery.
“She’s feeding really well and is quite a vocal little thing. She’ll sit in the spare room next to me and call out when she’s ready to feed,” said Felicity.
The joey has also found a fluffy new pal in the form of a soft toy kangaroo, which she clings to tightly while feeding and sleeping.
“At this age she would naturally still be with her mother, so the soft toy gives her something to snuggle for comfort. It’s not as fluffy and woolly as an adult Brushtail Possum, but she clings to it using her claws and teeth as she would do with mum in the wild,” said Felicity.
Bettina is one of two orphaned possum joeys that Felicity is helping to hand-raise in her role as a vet nurse at Taronga Wildlife Hospital.
Both joeys will remain in the wildlife hospital’s care until they are ready to begin a soft release program, where they’ll be transferred to a specialised wildlife carer and ultimately released back into the wild.
Taronga Wildlife Hospital cares for and treats over 1,000 injured or orphaned native animals every year, including wombats, wallabies, possums, echidnas, birds and sea turtles.