The other day, a young couple camping in Victoria, Australia, noticed a tiny, fuzzy baby on the ground at their campsite. They couldn’t tell what kind of animal he was, but they knew he needed help.
Wildlife Victoria
The couple called Wildlife Victoria, a local animal rescue, who identified the baby as a young feathertail glider. The rescuers were shocked — they don’t often get calls about feathertail gliders, one of Australia’s most unique marsupials.
In their adult form, feathertail gliders measure up at just 2 to 3 inches long, making them the smallest gliding mammals in the world. With the help of flaps under their arms, they can glide between trees as far as 90 feet apart.
“This is one of the rarer species reported to Wildlife Victoria,” Oscar Formoso, Wildlife Victoria’s head of emergency response service told The Dodo.
It was clear to the Wildlife Victoria staff that the feathertail glider needed immediate saving. They sent a rescuer named Mary to come pick up the baby and transport him to their facility.
“Feathertail gliders are [an] arboreal, nocturnal species, and as this little one was found during the day and on the ground, it was immediately clear to our emergency response service that something was wrong,” Formoso said.
Back at the Wildlife Victoria headquarters, the joey, or baby marsupial, got a full examination. The staff couldn’t tell exactly how old he was or how he’d ended up all alone, but they knew he needed some TLC.
Wildlife Victoria
“It was unknown how long he had been orphaned, however, he was clearly dehydrated and cold,” Formoso said.
All it took was a little food, water and a long nap for the baby to start feeling better.
“After some rest and hydration, the little joey perked up and was in good spirits,” Formoso said.
Wildlife Victoria
Once the baby was in stable condition, Wildlife Victoria transported him to a long-term wildlife shelter, where he’ll continue recovering until he’s ready to be released back into the wild.
“For orphaned juveniles, we want to make sure the animal will survive in the wild on their own so that they can feed themselves, avoid predators, and … are fit and healthy for finding a mate,” Formoso said.
Thanks to the campers who discovered the joey and the many wildlife rescuers who worked hard to save him, this feathertail glider will have a second chance at life.
If you’d like to support Wildlife Victoria, you can make a donation here. 
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