Woman Finds A Bit Of Fur Tangled In Net — Then Realizes It's A Mom And Baby

Do you see him? 👀

On a recent morning in Australia, a woman stepped out into her sunny yard and noticed a brown figure struggling in the black netting surrounding her hedges.

The concerned resident immediately called WIRES Wildlife Rescue for help and told them there was an animal in trouble. What she didn’t realize was that the tangled mass of fur she’d seen wasn’t just one animal — there were two.

possum tangled in net
WIRES

When WIRES rescue staff arrived on the scene, they could immediately tell that the animal was a female ringtail possum. Then they noticed him — clutching onto his mama, his face burrowed into her body, was a little joey.

possum tangled in net
WIRES

Rescuers determined that the safest approach would be to contain the joey first and then save his mother. Once the joey was lifted from her belly, rescuers placed a towel over the mother’s head to calm her, then they began to untangle the netting from around her arms and legs.

The possum remained calm during the entire process and was thrilled to be reunited with her joey in the carrier once she was finally free.

Rescue staff were elated to see the pair back together and relieved that neither had sustained any serious injuries.

“It was such a huge relief that the joey was unharmed and the mother's injuries appeared to be relatively minor,” a WIRES representative told The Dodo. “We often see animals trapped in netting become highly agitated and thrash around, entangling themselves even further, causing serious injuries … A successful rescue is always a happy outcome for everyone!”

baby possum
WIRES

After the rescue, mother and joey were taken to a local vet clinic, where they were treated for their injuries. The pair are currently preparing to return back to the wild and will soon be released in the area near where they were found.

possum family
WIRES

To avoid situations like this in the future, WIRES stressed the importance of wildlife-friendly netting options, like those described in their wildlife-friendly netting guide. If everyone does their part to make wildlife-conscious decisions in the future, little families like this one will surely be grateful.

To help other animals like these possums, make a donation to WIRES.