A keeper from Taronga Western Plains Zoo is hand raising a young brush-tailed possum after its mother was killed. The joey which is estimated to be less than six months old was brought to the Zoo’s Wildlife Hospital after a family found it alongside its deceased mother in their backyard.
The little possum weighs just 117g at the moment. He is putting on a healthy amount of weight each day though by eating four meals. Currently the joey eats diced fruits and native blossoms. He also needs the special nutrients that come from his mother’s milk so his career is giving him a special replacement milk.
When he is not eating the possum is snuggled up warm in his makeshift pouch which provides the similar feeling of darkness and warmth that his mother’s would. Over the next few weeks he will continue to receive intensive care from the zoo’s hospital staff. They are working towards getting him to a healthy weight so he can be released back into the wild.
Photo Credit: Taronga Western Plains Zoo
