A group of tourists watched on as a baby ringtail possum was surrounded by ravens. Source: Lonsdale Eco Cruises
Out on the water, a tourist boat was forced to make the tough decision and turn away from a “heartbreaking” situation on land just metres away.
Earlier this month, the crew from Lonsdale Eco Cruises had ventured to the remote western side of Lakes Entrance, a popular Victorian holiday destination.
The team is famous for taking its guests to see wild scenes that most people would only see in nature documentaries, like seals attacking squid or lost reptiles out at sea.
But on the weekend, they were reminded that nature can be cruel.
The boat crew sounded their horn to try and distract the ravens. Source: Lonsdale Eco Cruises
Why crew was unable to help baby possum
Initially, it appeared a tiny creature had been surrounded by a “murder of crows”, but upon closer inspection, they realised it was an equally daunting and visually similar “conspiracy of ravens”.
Mel Fredericks, who was running the tour, explained they quickly realised they were taunting a baby ringtail possum.
The animal was facing anything but a quick death, but there was no way for the crew to moor the boat and intervene.
“It was heartbreaking,” Mel told Yahoo News.
“There were about five or six of them grabbing him by the tail and flicking him around.
“But we couldn’t get near them because of the rock and timber walls.”
The possum took its chance and ran from the ravens. Source: Lonsdale Eco Cruises
The tiny creature sheltered under a piece of driftwood and then ran towards a tree. Source: Lonsdale Eco Cruises
So the crew did the only thing they could and tried to distract the birds from taunting the tiny marsupial.
“We have a big truck horn on our boat, so we beeped that a few times, and it scared them,” Fredericks said.
The tourists onboard the boat were “in awe” as the possum “put up a good fight”, jumping across the sand, and trying to avoid the birds’ beaks.
After the possum escaped to a nearby tree, they turned the boat around and headed away from the harrowing situation. When they returned later in the day, there was no sign of it.
“It is nature, so I took a few photos. But we didn’t hang around, I just thought hopefully it’s escaped,” she added.
“But it is nice to know we have ringtail possums in this coastal area.”
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