You already know that Australia is full of some of the weirdest, wildest, and most spectacular creatures on the planet, and this story is just another example of that. When a good samaritan found an orphaned golden possum near Melbourne, they brought it to the Boronia Veterinary Clinic, where it soon became apparent that they had something special on their hands. It’s basically a real-life Pikachu!
- She was only a baby when she was found. While the rare golden possum was found back in 2018 at about five months of age, it wasn’t until recently that she went viral online, thanks to the whole Pikachu resemblance. She stayed with the vet for a night before being taken to a wildlife refuge, where we can only assume she’s lived happily ever since.
- How do golden possums even happen? This little Pikachu — er, possum — is a common brushtail possum. The bright golden color of her fur is a result of a mutation that causes a low level of melanin in their skin, hence the lack of pigment. Whatever the reason, these little things are gorgeous!
- Sadly, golden possums lack Pikachu powers. And while the color of their fur is gorgeous, it also makes them much more likely to be picked up by predators, which is no good. This is just another reason it’s so good this little one was rescued and taken to safety.
- They’re so cuddly! While you can’t actually cuddle a Pikachu, you can get pretty close if you ever got near enough to a golden possum. Of course, while there are pocket populations of the adorable little critters, especially around Melbourne, many people like to keep their locations safe in order to protect them. After all, they deserve to live free, happy, healthy lives and I have a feeling a lot of people would try to domesticate them if given half the chance!
