Endangered Mountain Pygmy Possum Laps Up Water From Wildlife Officer

A wildlife officer at the Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales gave water to a thirsty mountain pygmy possum during a recent mission to install food and drink stations for the endangered species.

According to the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service, 50 feeders and 50 drink stations, stocked with 20 kilos of food, have been built, with 20 installed so far.

The mountain pygmy possum is an endangered species, native only to alpine and subalpine areas of New South Wales and Victoria, according to the New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage.

The possum survives winter by “fattening in late summer and autumn and hibernating for up to seven months, from autumn until the snow melts in spring.” Credit: Department of Planning, Industry and Environment via Storyful