Possums & sugar gliders

Learn how Vets for Compassion rescues sick and injured possums and sugar gliders — and what you should do if you find one in need.

Found a Sick or Injured Possum or sugar glider?

Stay calm, keep a safe distance and follow these steps:

1. Keep your distance

Check for danger. Keep other animals and people away and stay a safe distance yourself if necessary.

2. Contain the animal

If safe, smaller animals like possums and sugar gliders can be carefully wrapped in a towel, placed in a covered box with air holes, and kept in a calm, quiet and warm place. If unsafe, keep an eye on the animal until help arrives.

3. Call for Help

If you’re in Victoria, called Vets for Compassion on
0407 084 594. If the animal is in immediate danger of being hit by a car, call 000 as well.

4. Keep Calm and Quiet

Avoid stressing the animal any more than necessary. If you have placed the animal in a covered box, resist the urge to check on it or subject it to unfamiliar noises or smells. Do not offer food or water.

5. Stay Until Help Arrives

Stay with the animal until help arrives. If the animal is mobile, track it from afar so you can tell rescuers where to find it.

Victoria is home to 14 species of possums and sugar gliders, and they are especially vulnerable to climate change, urban development and being hit by cars.

Vets for Compassion is frequently called out to treat sick or injured possums and sugar gliders. In summer, we are often called out to treat possums and sugar gliders suffering from heat stroke — a growing issue as the climate warms. We’re also seeing a rise in possums being:

  • Hit by cars in urban areas
  • Lost or disoriented in built up environments
  • Injured by off-leash dog

How You Can Help Protect Victoria’s Possums and Sugar Gliders

  • Slow down when driving in wildlife areas, especially at dawn and dusk
  • Report injured kangaroos or wallabies as soon as possible, so they can receive urgent veterinary care
  • Report deceased pouched animals — there may be a surviving joey in the pouch that can be saved
  • Give rescuers space — if you see flashing lights or wildlife rescuers on the road, slow down and pass carefully
  • Keep dogs on lead in wildlife areas to protect native animals from attack

Possums and Sugar Gliders Helped in 2025

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