A man walking his dogs in Australia was surprised when their highly intensified scent glands led him to something unusual. While most of us would have passed by this tiny thumbnail sized creature without even noticing it, the dogs spotted a baby animal.
The creature was taken to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Center and was identified as a feathertail glider. This tiny animal is a marsupial, common in Australia, and it was determined that the poor little thing had fallen from its mother’s pouch.
The tiny mammal, found still hairless due to its immaturity would have certainly died without intervention. The feathertail glider is the smallest gliding mammal in the world and are indigenous to Australia’s eastern coast. The tiny mammal was fed barely a drop of milk daily and given a tiny cozy blanket to keep warm. She will grow to a full sized weight of only 13 grams. She will then be released back into the wild to carry on.
Referred to as Boop at the wildlife center, this lucky feathertail glider will have huge eyes and resemble a small mouse complete with dark grey fur. As her name implies though, her tail will resemble a feather, allowing her to glide through the air from plant to plant seeking nectar and insects for food.
The Australia Zoo Wildlife Center is federally funded center that dedicates itself to the rescuing, conservation and rehabilitation of its native wildlife. The center employs veterinarians, veterinary assistants and volunteers who enjoy caring for orphaned, disowned and injured animals. They provide medical care and lots of love before returning the animals to the wild or to local zoos.