Baby brushtail possum rescued by Luke Hessell at Erina

Wyong’s Luke Hessell grimaced when he first saw a possum dead in the middle of the road, but rather than drive past he stopped to investigate. Here’s what happened next.

Biscuits the baby possum was rescued near Erina Fair. Picture: Sue Graham

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WYONG’S Luke Hessell grimaced when he first saw a possum dead in the middle of the road. But then, he saw something move.

The female possum had been struck and killed by a car near Erina Fair, but a tiny baby in her pouch had somehow survived the fatal impact.

“It was on Penrose Crescent right near the main road in Erina,” Mr Hessell said.

“I got the mum off the road and saw something in the pouch, and then little Biscuits started moving. It’s crazy he survived.”

The pair play up to the camera. Picture: Sue Graham

Biscuits the brush tail possum days after his rescue.

This was the beginning of a beautiful friendship between brushtrail possum “Biscuits” and Mr Hessell.

He took mum and bub to the Animal Referral Hospital in West Gosford, where they looked over Biscuits, who was just three months old, and sent her to Wildlife ARC carer Tracey Sullivan.

Mrs Sullivan, who has been caring for possums for the past 13 years, said she was delighted Mr Hessell left his contact details at the vet.

“I messaged Luke straight away to say thank you,” she said.

Mr Hessell has kept in touch with Biscuits’s carer Tracey Sullivan. Picture: Sue Graham

“Biscuits is doing so well, aside from having a cold, and will be with me for about 12 months.”

Biscuits will eventually be released back into the wild. Mr Hessell said it was his first possum rescue, and was thrilled to be reunited with Biscuits and kept up to date on his progress.

“It’s been a great outcome,” he said.

Wildlife ARC’s Von Thompson said it was always worth checking pouches of animals on the side of the road.

In the event you find a live baby, transport it inside the mother to the vet.

“We encourage people to check pouches,” she said.

Mrs Thompson said Wildlife ARC had been running on the Central Coast for the past 32 years and had already responded to 1750 calls this year.

Contact them on 4325 0666.