TWO baby sugar gliders have finally been released back into the wild after receiving months of care.
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The pair were rescued in January when they were discovered by a man bushwalking east of Bathurst.
The man phoned WIRES for help after he found the two babies still attached to their mother, who had died at the bottom of a tree.
Due to the dedication of WIRES Central West carer Nicole Wiggins, the tiny babies have been successfully raised and released.
Ms Wiggins said the two gliders weighed no more than 16 grams, had no fur, transparent skin and had their eyes closed when they were rescued.
As they were around the size of an adult’s thumb, they were almost impossible to feed.
Volunteers at WIRES took special care of the helpless gliders, feeding them every four hours, morning and night, to stabilise their weight.
“They still lost a few grams in the beginning after the stress of losing their mum,” Ms Higgins said.
She added that due to their size, the two sugar gliders could only be fed minuscule amounts from a syringe.
Ms Wiggins said that in the space of a few weeks the babies opened their eyes and that in the months that followed they learnt to feed themselves and started venturing into the outdoors.
At the end of last month, WIRES released the sugar gliders back into the wild, after nearly six months of care.
National Parks and Wildlife set up cameras where the gliders could be monitored for three weeks to ensure they had adjusted to life in the wild.
Soon after, the cameras were removed and the youngsters were left on their own.
Ms Wiggins said the gliders were released in a location close to where they were found.
“It was such an emotional journey with these guys, never knowing if they would make it and trusting they were doing well in the wild,” she said.
Wires volunteer Christie Jarrett said calls about sugar gliders were not all that common.
“We’re used to hearing about possums and animals closer to home,” she said.