Orphaned possum loves this stuffed kangaroo

Tiny Bettina was rushed to Taronga Wildlife Hospital last month after being found alone in Mosman and suffering from dehydration.

But through the care of Taronga Zoo vet nurse Felicity Evans, this little joey has gone from strength to strength.

“She’s feeding really well and is quite a vocal little thing. She’ll sit in the spare room next to me and call out when she’s ready to feed,” said Felicity in a media release.

“At this age she would naturally still be with her mother, so the soft toy gives her something to snuggle for comfort. It’s not as fluffy and woolly as an adult Brushtail Possum, but she clings to it using her claws and teeth as she would do with mum in the wild,” she said.

“She was only 77 grams when she first arrived and she’s now 180 grams. We’re starting to introduce her to solid foods like carrot and sweet potato, as well as natural browse and native flowers. She particularly loves bottlebrush and the soft tips of eucalyptus.”

Taronga Wildlife Hospital cares for and treats over 1,000 injured or orphaned native animals every year, including wombats, wallabies, possums, echidnas, birds and sea turtles.

Now to Love