Rising From The Ashes! First Pygmy Possum Discovered in Australia's Kangaroo Island Since Devastating Bushfires, Watch Cute Pics of The Smallest Possums in The World
A tiny baby pygmy possum, which is the smallest of the possum species was found in the Kangaroo Island for the first time since the devastating disaster which burnt through their entire habitats.
Australia experienced a terrible season of bushfires from the end of 2019. Raging fires destroyed acres of habitat for the wild animals, including koalas and possums. Koalas and possums were both said to be highly threatened by the wild fires, but a birth of a pygmy possum now serves hope. A tiny baby pygmy possum, which is the smallest of the possum species was found in the Kangaroo Island for the first time since the devastating disaster which burnt through their entire habitats. New Bloom Rises From Australia Bushfires' Ashes! Pics of Plants and Bushes Regrowing Take Over the Internet and Netizens Can't Contain Their Joy.
It was feared that these animals had disappeared from South Australia as their habitat was severely destroyed. Half of the 440,500-hectare island was burnt in December and January bushfires. The possum weighs less than 10 grams and is a little difficult to study because of their limited range. But this discovery by Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife is very significant. They surveyed over 20 different sites on the island to look for animals and found this tiny baby among others. The other species found on the island included southern brown bandicoots, native bush rats, brush-tailed possums, tammar wallabies and the more common western pygmy possums, as well as the one little pygmy possum. Pictures of the adorable pygmy animals have been shared online and are going viral. This reminds us of Ash, the koala who was the first born in Australian reptile park, giving similar hope for its family species.
Watch Pics of The Tiny Pygmy Possum Found in Australia:
So cute, aren't they? Fauna ecologist Pat Hodgens told Guardian Australia, "This capture is the first documented record of the species surviving post-fire. The fire did burn through about 88% of that species’ predicted range, so we really weren’t sure what the impact of the fires would be, but it’s pretty obvious the population would have been pretty severely impacted." The team will now have to work to find the rest of the species and also protect them as they are vulnerable from their predators.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 10, 2020 04:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).