They were thought to be extinct: scientists recorded a brush-tailed possum on video – News

A brush-tailed opossum was captured on a wildlife camera in western Australia. They have not been seen in these areas for more than a century.

In 2021, conservationists released 49 possums into the Mount Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary, about 30 kilometers from the place where the opossum was “caught” on camera in the Charles Darwin Reserve, writes Newsweek.

“For residents of other regions of Australia, this news is not too exciting, because these animals eat their roses. But here they died out quite a long time ago, so it was a very exciting sight“, said Michelle Hall, an environmentalist from Bush Heritage Australia.

The photos came out clear, so the scientists definitely recognized the brush-tailed possum.

Zookeepers rejoice when an opossum is caught on camera, because it means that their reintroduction efforts (returning animals to the wild) are successful.

Who are brush-tailed possums?

These are nocturnal marsupials native to Australia. They are similar in size to domestic cats. Their fur can have different shades of color – from silver-gray to dark brown. It helps them adapt to living conditions. These creatures can live in eucalyptus forests and mountain ranges.

They can be found in the east and southeast of Australia, in other regions their number is decreasing. Possums are protected at the legislative level. However, in New Zealand, these marsupials are classified as invasive animal species (those that pose a threat to certain species of flora and fauna).

Currently, opossums are on the verge of extinction due to habitat loss and an increase in the number of predators. Eucalyptus forests are their home: they provide them with food and protection from predators (foxes and wild cats).

It will be recalled that scientists will use the method of artificial insemination to save the population of the northern white rhinoceros.