{"id":184367,"date":"2025-10-02T06:06:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T06:06:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/184367\/"},"modified":"2025-10-02T06:06:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T06:06:10","slug":"couples-shock-after-finding-rare-glowing-animal-on-aussie-road-whats-that","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/184367\/","title":{"rendered":"Couple’s shock after finding rare glowing animal on Aussie road: ‘What’s that?’"},"content":{"rendered":"

During a late-night drive to lull their two kids to sleep, an Aussie couple were \u201cshocked\u201d by an animal<\/a> so bright it glowed in their headlights. There are no streetlights along the backroads of Launceston, and Chelsea Pettit first guessed the strange creature was a cat.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said to my partner, Oh my God, what\u2019s that?\u201d she said, before her partner turned the car around.<\/p>\n

Speaking with Yahoo News Australia last night, Chelsea revealed she \u201cdidn\u2019t even think twice\u201d before jumping out of her car and running towards the animal in the middle of the road, with a blanket she grabbed from one of her kids.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know whether it was my motherly instinct or that I grew up on a farm around animals. My only thought was to get it off the road,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

As she got closer, the penny dropped that she was looking at one of Tasmania\u2019s almost mythical golden possums<\/a>. Even more startling was that this individual was also a rare albino<\/a>, with red eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was staring up at me the whole time, like she was terrified, the poor thing,\u201d Chelsea said. \u201cShe did not want to leave her mum.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related: \ud83d\udea8 200 deaths in just two years: Devastating toll of deadly Aussie road<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Two<\/p>\n

The possum made several attempts at escaping. Source: Chelsea Pettit<\/p>\n

The possum\u2019s mother was a regular brown brushtail<\/a>. Sadly, the youngster couldn\u2019t comprehend that she was dead and that her life was about to dramatically change. Had Chelsea not grabbed the possum and bundled her into the car, she likely would have been flattened as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cA log truck came not even two minutes later, speeding through, cleaned up mum,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

How bad is Tasmania’s roadkill problem?<\/p>\n

Evidence suggests that between 500,000 and 1 million animals are killed on Tasmania\u2019s roads every year, with wildlife rescuers dubbing the state the \u201croadkill capital of the world\u201d.<\/p>\n

Tasmania is lucky to have an abundance of brushtail possums. The species has been killed off across 80 per cent of its original range on the mainland<\/a>. Rarer animals like the Tasmanian devil also frequently fall victim to speeding trucks and cars.<\/a><\/p>\n

Bonorong, the state\u2019s biggest wildlife rescue service, would like to see a statewide study to determine how to mitigate the problem. Its director Greg Irons quipped that Tasmanians aren\u2019t worse drivers than other Australians, \u201cit\u2019s just there are so many animals here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat research would be crucial to pressuring change. It\u2019s hard \u2014 roadkill is such an accepted part of life for Tasmanians. But I\u2019ve had people come here and they just cannot believe the carnage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we could even drop the number by 20 per cent, we could be talking about hundreds of thousands of lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/p>\n

The golden possum was taken into care after spending the night at Chelsea\u2019s house. Source: Chelsea Pettit<\/p>\n

What happened to the golden possum?<\/p>\n

Chelsea kept the possum in her bathroom overnight, and after several escape attempts, she slept warm and safe in a cat carrier. And in the morning, took her away for assessment and care.<\/p>\n

What happens once the animal grows up remains unclear. In Tasmania, there is debate over whether golden possums should be released into the wild, because their bright colouring is a negative genetic trait.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they\u2019re born like that, their chance of survival is going to be a bit less, because obviously they stand out like a sore thumb,\u201d Greg said.<\/p>\n

There are several populations of golden possums, including at Launceston and at Mount Nelson near Hobart. It’s normal for the mother to be a different colour to her baby because the genetic mutation tends to skip a generation.<\/p>\n

What should I do if I see a golden possum?<\/p>\n

Bonorong receives four to five calls about them every year. They face the same problems as other wildlife, including vehicle strikes, dog and cat attacks, poisonings, and disease.<\/p>\n

Along with concerned queries about sick and injured golden possums, it also receives calls about perfectly healthy individuals. So Greg advises it\u2019s always best to call before trying to intervene.<\/p>\n

\u201cA few times people have trapped them, thinking they need help or that we might want it,\u201d Greg revealed.<\/p>\n

\u201cOther people have asked if they should do something, but our advice is generally to leave them alone and enjoy them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Love Australia’s weird and wonderful environment? \ud83d\udc0a\ud83e\udd98\ud83d\ude33 Get our new newsletter<\/a> showcasing the week\u2019s best stories.<\/p>\n

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