A tiny fur-covered nose pokes out of a snuggly blanket after a midday nap, his small dark eyes giving an inquisitive look while his carer giggles due to a cuteness overload.
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Meet "Tippi", a long-nosed potoroo joey who is the latest resident to call a Far South Coast native wildlife sanctuary home.
He was named after the white tip on his tail.
Michele Thiemann, an animal keeper at Potoroo Palace near Merimbula, has been caring for Tippi around the clock since he was discovered on the floor of one of the enclosures after being "rejected by his mum".
"He was very cold, calling, and dehydrated, so we think the mum, "Correa", rejected him during the night when they're a bit more active," she said.
"It was the first young of that female, and we noticed that they tend to reject many of their first ones, but we found him at a good time so we can care for him."
Tippi had since found refuge in a dark green hand-crocheted bag strung around Michele's neck.
It allowed the joey to feel her keeper's heartbeat while also "replicating the mother's movement".
"I have to feed him five times a day and also during the night, so I usually do it 7am, 1pm, 5pm, 10pm and 3am with milk," Michele said.
"I have tried to introduce him to natural foods like dirt, roots, grass and mushrooms.
"He is very active, and I let him run in my bedroom, which is a bigger space than the enclosures.
"He's not scared of people, which is nice, and he's so curious and explores, then runs at me, climbs and falls asleep in my hair," she said with a smile like only a proud mother would.
Anna Lindstrand, the director of Potoroo Palace, was ecstatic as she shared news of Tippi.
"He will cost $5 a day, $20,000 in his lifetime just to feed him with a special diet we've developed with Taronga Zoo," she said.
Anna explained how long-nosed potoroos live twice as long in captivity, with an estimated 10-12 years, rather than the expected four years in the wild.
With 15 potoroos in the wildlife sanctuary's care, those figures added up to nearly $300,000 dedicated solely to potoroos, covering food, habitat maintenance, and essential support to keep them thriving.
"It's so different to care for a wild animal that is going back to the wild because you have to be so strict with the food and teach them what they will eat in the bush," Anna said.
"But here, they need to get used to the food they'll get daily at this five-star resort."
Jimmy Parker
I am a multi-award-winning regional news journalist on the Far South Coast of NSW. I aim to immortalise the stories of everyday people through narratives and capture breaking news. Have you got a story? Contact me on 0437 166 441 or at james.parker@austcommunitymedia.com.au
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