When a rescuer from Sydney Wildlife Rescue received a call about a possum stuck inside a barbecue, she didn’t think much of it at first — it’s actually a pretty common rescue in the area. But when she arrived, what she saw left her completely speechless.
“The rescuer who attended pictured it stuck under the cover, behind the gas bottle, or some other place where it could be easily grabbed, released and sent on its way,” Sydney Wildlife Rescue wrote on Facebook. “Instead, she was lost for words to see this!”
The tiny possum had somehow squeezed his head through one of the metal holes in the barbecue — and was now completely trapped.
“There was no seam in the base, no screws that could be undone, no easy access,” said Diane, the rescuer, who asked not to share her last name.
She tried gently maneuvering the possum’s head, tucking his soft ears back to see if he could slip through — but nothing worked. The little guy was stuck tight. Thinking fast, Diane asked the homeowner if they had any olive oil on hand.
After carefully rubbing a bit around the possum’s neck, the trick worked — he slowly wriggled free!
Too young to survive on his own, the possum was taken to Sydney Wildlife Rescue’s rehabilitation center, where he was cared for until he grew strong and independent.
When he was finally ready, he was released back into the wild — alongside a few other rescued possums who’d become his friends during recovery.
“If the homeowners hadn't phoned us quickly, it would have been a very different outcome,” Diane said. “They truly saved the life of a little possum.”
To help other animals like him, you can donate to Sydney Wildlife Rescue and support their lifesaving work.
