I spotted a baby ringtail possum crawling across the bitumen road in the afternoon on a really hot day. I took it home. It was heat exhausted and barely alive. Jana nursed it for the evening while I worked. She located an adult possum and a larger baby at the location I found it. We tried twice to re-release but the baby was too weak and/or rejected. There were signs of multiple small wounds, and possibly burns on the feet. One foot didn't really work properly and back legs were very weak. Her condition improved dramatically by day three but then deteriorated again rapidly. Size and weight indicated it was unlikely she was weaned or fully weaned. She often tried to suckle your hand/skin. She kinda sucked on banana rather than ate it. We named her Blossom. She was with us for four days then passed away. At one point I really thought we'd end up raising a disabled possum. She was bright and alert and playfull on day three. On the day she passed I carried her in a sling made from a facemask around my neck and she slept all day. Blossom died in Jana's hands. It was heart breaking.
Information we found indicated high mortality amongst rescued baby ringtail possums, but very easy imprinting and return to the wild if they survived.
Below are unsorted images/video.
This is my favorite video of Blossom the Possum.
