A few weeks ago, a man living in a Sydney suburb went to slip on his boots when he suddenly felt something soft brush against his toes. Confused, he pulled his foot back and looked inside — and was stunned to see a tiny, furry creature curled up at the bottom of his boot.
At first glance, the man assumed it was a baby ringtail possum. Wanting to help, he immediately called WIRES, Australia’s largest wildlife rescue organization. Within 15 minutes, volunteer rescuer Anna (who preferred to withhold her last name) arrived at his home.
“His young daughter was with him, and she was very excited that there was a baby possum in his boots!” Anna told The Dodo.
Anna also thought she’d be rescuing a baby possum — until she reached into the boot and heard an unexpected sound.
“To my biggest surprise, I heard this loud grunting noise,” Anna said. “Baby possums don’t make that sound — they usually squeak.”
When Anna carefully pulled the animal out, the mystery was solved. The little creature wasn’t a possum at all — she was a sugar glider.
“We all couldn’t believe it,” Anna said. “I’ve never seen a sugar glider in the suburb of Cammeray in the three years I’ve been volunteering with WIRES.”
Sugar gliders are small, nocturnal marsupials known for their ability to glide through the air using wing-like membranes that stretch between their arms and legs. With flat tails to steer and frog-like toes for climbing, they can soar between trees like tiny parachutes.
“When stretched out, they can float long distances, like a falling leaf,” Anna explained. “To take off, they leap from a tree with their legs outstretched, and that flap of skin acts like a parachute.”
Normally, sugar gliders sleep tucked away in tree hollows — but this little one had decided a warm boot was the perfect substitute. When Anna lifted her out, the glider was understandably feisty after her nap had been interrupted.
A quick examination showed she was perfectly healthy. Anna gave her some rehydration fluid and fruit, then waited until nightfall — when predators would be asleep — to release her safely back into the wild.
Finally, Anna drove to the nearest eucalyptus tree and opened the carrier.
“Seeing her scurry up the tree was an incredibly special experience,” Anna said. “It was my first time releasing a sugar glider — and it was just magical.”
To help other wild animals like this little sugar glider, you can donate to WIRES here.
