Possum Crashes Airport Gift Shop, Found Blending In With Plush Toys

A casual stroll through the gift shop turned into a wildlife encounter at an Australian airport when a possum decided to mingle with the plush animals on display.

Shoppers at the Hobart Airport in Tasmania got an unusual surprise earlier this week when a real Australian brushtail possum appeared among the cuddly stuffed toy animals on display.

The possum was spotted peering out from the shelves crammed with plush kangaroos, koalas, echidnas, Tasmanian devils, and other animals native to the country.

“A passenger reported it to… one of the staff members on shift who couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing,” airport retail manager Liam Bloomfield said. “She then called management and said, ‘We’ve got a possum in the store.’”

A staff member captured the marsupial on video before the little visitor, growing wary of the attention, left the shop. Airport personnel were able to safely escort the possum outside.

A Hobart Airport spokesperson said, “Our team ensured the little visitor was safely escorted, it wasn’t distressed—just another day of adventuring.”

“We always knew our plushie toy collection was lifelike, but it seems we finally got the ultimate seal of approval, Bloomfield added with a laugh, “We’re happy to report the visitor has safely made its way back to the great outdoors.”

How the possum got into the secure departure terminal, and how long it had been there, remains a mystery.

“I’m imagining it saw some of the plush animals and decided to make its home with those,” Bloomfield joked. “It wanted to blend in.” And perhaps find some new friends?

Possums are just one of many unique and curious creatures found in Tasmania, along with Tasmanian devils, wombats, quolls, pademelons, and echidnas.

Bloomfield observed, “Only in Australia and only at Hobart Airport could a local possum pop in for a quick browse among the souvenirs.”

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