Endangered possums find refuge in back gardens in western Australia

By Jake Buehler

In western Australian residential neighborhoods, critically endangered marsupials have made themselves at home in private gardens. These urban environments act as a much-needed refuge, as their habitats have been reduced by human activity and natural predators.

Western ringtail possums (Pseudocheirus occidentalis) are nocturnal, cat-sized creatures that live in trees and shrubs and eat leaves and fruit. They once ranged over much of south-western Australia, but habitat loss and predation by invasive red foxes have dramatically reduced their range to three …