Meet The Rare Golden Possums Of Australia

In 2018, The Boronia Veterinary Clinic in Australia announced on Facebook about a very rare and special guest at their clinic- a rescued brushtail possum with an incredible orange-yellow coat, often referred to as "Golden possums".  

 The real-life Pikachu was sadly found lying on the ground by a concerned rescuer when he was just five months old, after falling from her mom's back. After spending a night at Boronia Veterinary Clinic, she was placed with a wildlife carer.

Brushtail possums are usually a grayish color, but little Pikachu has a genetic mutation that means she lacks melanin. 

Turns out, those unusual colors may look beautiful to us but are actually posing a significant danger to the animal in the wild: "One of the issues with unusual colors, particularly if they are pale, is that this is a nocturnal animal and if they are pale, they are obvious to predators like an owl,"  Dr. Kath Handasyde from Melbourne University's School of Biosciences told Business Insider.

But this adorable possum is not the only one in Australia. There are more little pockets of them around Melbourne, but their location is kept secret by the volunteers in order to keep them safe.      

Story via: Business Insider



Advertisement

For a weekly dose of animal-themed community challenges - Subscribe to our Newsletter!

Can't get enough of ICanHasCheezburger? Find us on Instagram!

Tags

possums rare golden australia animal rescue animals
Scroll Down For The Next Article

Also From I Can Has Cheezburger?

Hefty High-Quality Caturday Collection (55 Cat Memes)

Hefty High-Quality Caturday Collection (55 Cat Memes)

Trending Now

A Splendidly Silly Series of 30 Wholesome Cat Memes to Inspire A Goofier Meowrning

A Splendidly Silly Series of 30 Wholesome Cat Memes to Inspire A Goofier Meowrning

01
'I don't know what I was thinking': Beautiful stray cat with unique fur pattern steals the heart of unsuspecting purrson, takes over their home in a matter of minutes

'I don't know what I was thinking': Beautiful stray cat with unique fur pattern steals the heart of unsuspecting purrson, takes over their home in a matter of minutes

02
'If my pets have to go, I go too': 22-year-old girlfriend agrees to have her boyfriend's parents live with them for a short time, only for him to tell her that she has to get rid of her loyal cat and dog because his parents don't like them

'If my pets have to go, I go too': 22-year-old girlfriend agrees to have her boyfriend's parents live with them for a short time, only for him to tell her that she has to get rid of her loyal cat and dog because his parents don't like them

03
18-year-old girlfriend finds out about her boyfriend's plans to surprise her with a kitten, but adopts a different kitten instead: 'She decided to get the other kitten and [didnā€™t] even apologize to me.'

18-year-old girlfriend finds out about her boyfriend's plans to surprise her with a kitten, but adopts a different kitten instead: 'She decided to get the other kitten and [didnā€™t] even apologize to me.'

04
Loving feline pawrent gets turned away from private animal shelter for being ā€œunfit to adoptā€ despite owning 3 healthy cats already

Loving feline pawrent gets turned away from private animal shelter for being ā€œunfit to adoptā€ despite owning 3 healthy cats already

05
24 Cat Memes for Fierce Felines Ruling the House, and Their Hoomans

24 Cat Memes for Fierce Felines Ruling the House, and Their Hoomans

06
Advertisement