Couple Is Surprised To Find Tiniest Animal Curled Up Next To Their Dog’s Bed

Recently, a couple in Inman Valley, South Australia, noticed a fuzzy lump next to their dog’s bed. When they got a closer look, the couple realized the ball of fur was an animal — a juvenile western pygmy possum.

The couple kept their new tenant warm overnight. In the morning, they took her to the experts at Wildlife Welfare Organisation, who got in touch with local wildlife carer Gayl Males.

From the start, Males felt confident that the orphaned girl would be OK.

“She was uninjured and definitely was a good candidate to raise and eventually get back into the wild,” Males told The Dodo.

Every day, Males watched the possum and fed her replacement milk through a syringe. In only five weeks, the possum had grown bigger and stronger. She was finally ready to go back to the wild.

Males performed a soft release for the possum, putting her in a familiar area in a nest box filled with plenty of native blossoms and a bit of supplementary nectar. The possum was able to come and go until she felt ready to set off on her own, back out into the wilderness.

Watching her go, Males felt an overwhelming satisfaction.

“This is exactly what we do this for,” Males said. “To return them to the wild after giving them a chance they would not otherwise have had.”