Cheeky possum found hiding with stuffed toys at airport gift shop
Only in Australia could a real possum pull off the perfect heist by hiding out at an airport shop, surrounded by plush toy versions of some of Australia’s most iconic animals – here’s what happened
READING LEVEL: GREEN
It’s been a big week for possum magic around Australia. Hot on the heels of Healesville Sanctuary welcoming 12 mountain pygmy-possum births, Hobart Airport gift shop staff were met with their own adorable surprise on Wednesday, when a little possum was found chilling among his plushy buddies.
The “cheeky” possum had somehow made his way into the airport and was found making a “home among the souvenirs* shelf”.
A Hobart Airport spokesperson said the “furry little friend” was found hanging out in the Gifts and Souvenirs shop in the departures lounge.
“The team working in the store at the time were very surprised and couldn’t believe they found him/her with its lookalike plush family,” they said. “Our team ensured the little visitor was safely escorted*, it wasn’t distressed – just another day of adventuring,” the spokesperson said.
Hobart Airport shared the experience on their social media, saying the “impostor*” was removed and the area cleaned.
“Only in Australia and only at Hobart Airport could a local possum pop in for a quick browse among the souvenirs,” the spokesperson said.
“It’s a reminder that our airport is a gateway not just for travellers, but for a little bit of Tasmanian wildlife magic too.”
Hobart Airport’s souvenir store is run by the Pacific region’s largest travel retail operator, Lagardere AWPL. Hobart multi-site manager Liam Bloomfield told ABC News that while the possum was “not stressed” while among the native animal plushies, the situation became more sensitive once the animal’s cover was blown.
“We had passengers here, there and everywhere, taking videos,” Mr Bloomfield told the ABC.
“It was a bit of a mad rush to make sure it was safe, and no passengers were disrupted, and that the possum got back home.”
The possum was quickly given a VIP* airport experience thanks to airport personnel*, and swiftly removed from the cleverly camouflaged* hiding spot among soft toys.
Mr Bloomfield said in the ABC report that how the possum got into the airport building was “a true mystery”, but suggested current “redevelopment works” were one possibility.
The sweet marsupial’s* intended destination also remained a mystery – the possum had not checked any luggage and was not carrying a boarding pass.
Australian possums are notoriously nocturnal* creatures and may commonly be spotted in trees but they’re also found in parks, houses and apartment blocks in urban areas.
POLL
GLOSSARY
- souvenirs: things you buy or keep to help you remember a holiday or special event
- escorted: accompany, guide, to go with
- impostor: used in jest here, it usually means when someone pretends to be someone else to deceive others
- VIP: an acronym that usually stands for very important person, but in this case refers to a very important possum
- personnel: staff
- camouflaged: concealed, blended into the surroundings by colour or covering
- marsupial: type of mammal from Australasia or South and Central America that is not completely developed when it is born and is carried around in a pouch by its mother
- nocturnal: active or happening at night rather than during the day
EXTRA READING
Twelve tiny possum babies born
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QUICK QUIZ
- Which Australian airport did the possum manage to infiltrate?
- Was the possum hanging out where passengers are generally coming or going?
- How did the possum remain camouflaged?
- What is the name of the company that operates the airport’s souvenir shop?
- Which possum species had a recent baby boom at Healesville Sanctuary?
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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. What happened next?
“When I realised that I had accidentally bought a real live possum, not a plush toy …”
Use this as a sentence starter for a story.
Time: Spend at least 30 minutes on this activity
Curriculum Links: English
2. Extension
What if the possum did have a boarding pass for a flight and was not spotted in the gift shop?
Write a script or story about a cheeky possum that goes on an adventure from Hobart Airport. Your audience is younger kids. Make sure that your script or story is fun and exciting for your audience. Create a design of your possum character to include in your story or script.
Time: Spend at least 60 minutes on this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Visual Communication Design
VCOP ACTIVITY
Imaginative dialogue
Imagine you were there when the possum was discovered inside the store.
Create a conversation between two likely characters, such as a shop assistant and a traveller – you may need or want to include yourself as one of the characters. Don’t forget to try to use facts and details from the article to help make your dialogue as realistic as possible.
Go through your writing and highlight any punctuation you have used in green. Make sure you carefully check the punctuation used for the dialogue and ensure you have opened and closed the speaking in the correct places.