The other day, a Sydney, Australia, resident named Jessica spent the day outdoors with her young children. While everyone was enjoying their time outside, Jessica set her diaper bag on the ground under her stroller.
Without anyone noticing, a baby ringtail possum who’d gotten separated from her mom crawled into Jessica’s bag. It was only when her kids agitated the stroller that Jessica discovered the tiny animal curled up inside.
WIRES
“This little joey [baby marsupial] probably climbed into the pram looking for somewhere to shelter and was keeping itself warm amongst the baby clothes,” John Grant, WIRES media spokesperson, told The Dodo.
It was clear to Jessica that the baby was too young to survive on her own. She called Australian wildlife rescue organization WIRES right away for help. While she waited, she did her best to keep the possum safe.
WIRES
“Thinking quickly, [Jessica] left the possum undisturbed in the bag, placed it inside a secure box with a towel and moved it to a quiet, dark room away from noise and activity,” WIRES wrote on Instagram.
WIRES
Before long, a WIRES rescue volunteer named Vanessa came to collect the joey and transport her to a possum carer named Julie. Julie discovered that the baby was only 2.5 months old and weighed just 110 grams.
Luckily, the baby had no injuries and seemed relatively calm. Julie decided to name her Jessica, after the woman who discovered her.
Julie placed Jessica with another baby possum she’d been taking care of so that the two of them could be buddies and keep each other company.
“Later that same week, they were joined by two other similar-aged rescued joeys, so they became a pod of four,” Julie, who preferred to have her last name omitted, told The Dodo.
The four possums have all been through a lot, but they’re giving each other much-needed comfort. In the photo below, Jessica is the possum who has her tail curled around her friend’s tail:
WIRES
“[T]hey buddy up very easily at that age, and they all settled in well, even happily lapping their milk together,” Julie said.
Over the next few months, Julie will continue taking care of Jessica and her friends, weaning them off milk and getting them used to eating foliage.
When they each weigh a pound, they’ll be transferred to a handmade nest and monitored until they decide to venture out further into their natural habitat. Thanks to the woman who noticed her and decided to call for help, Jessica has gotten a second chance.
If you’d like to support Jessica and other animals rescued by WIRES, you can make a donation here.
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