Australian Veterinary Clinic Rescues A Rare Golden Possum, People Say They Just Caught A Pikachu

At some point in our lives, we all were told that fairies don’t exist and cartoons aren’t real. Fast forward to today—we have proof they all were wrong. The most adorable baby possum was found in Australia and upon further investigation, the internet is convinced he’s a Pikachu. With no disguise.

A rescuer in Melbourne brought the orphan possum to the Boronia Veterinary Clinic, where she lit up the room with her bright yellow fur. It turns out, the golden color occurs due to a mutation that causes a low level of the pigment melanin, which gives them their normal color. Or there’s another explanation. The cute little bud belongs to a species of Pokémon and our life has been a lie. So, let’s take a look at this viral cutie pie down below and be sure to get your Pokéball ready.

Bored Panda contacted Dr. Stephen Reinisch from Boronia Veterinary Clinic and Hospital, who still remembers the day the golden possum came to the clinic. "It was a time long ago now, but it seems her images will forever live online,” he laughed.

He then recounted their meeting two years ago. “She was brought in by a member of the public who found her on the ground. We suspect she had fallen off her mother’s back.” At the time, they estimated her to be around 5 months old and at that age should have still been living with and being looked after by mum.

Stephen said that “she was a bit shy at first, as expected, given the strange situation she had found herself in, but was otherwise in good spirits and health.” The possum spent the night at the clinic and was then collected by a carer the following day.

The standard color for a brushtail possum is brown. “However,” Stephen explained, “they can have less common color variations like this special yellow possum.” He said that there are other possums with this same color mutation around, but they are much less common in the wild. “Their bright color makes them an easier target for predators as they do not camouflage as well as their brown counterparts.”

Caroline Dazey from the non-profit Wildlife Victoria said that there are more golden possums found in the state, especially on Melbourne’s fringes. “We do get calls about them, there are little pockets of them in Victoria.” However, the volunteers keep their location secret in order to keep them safe.

The brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) is one of the most widespread species in Australia, found throughout the eastern and northern parts of the continent, as well as some western regions, Tasmania, and a number of offshore islands.