She couldn’t believe it.
Not long ago, a woman in New South Wales, Australia, returned home after a holiday shopping trip and immediately noticed something unusual about the Christmas wreath hanging on her front door.
Nestled among the pinecones and greenery was what looked like a small puff of fur.
According to WIRES Wildlife Rescue, a closer look revealed the unexpected visitor was actually a young ringtail possum, peacefully curled up and fast asleep inside the festive decoration.
Unsure what to do, the homeowner snapped a photo and shared it on a local community page, hoping someone might know how to help. Before long, she was connected with Inga, an experienced WIRES wildlife rescuer, who promptly came to investigate.
Inga wasn’t surprised by the discovery. Juvenile possums, she explained, often wander off while learning to survive on their own.
“It’s quite common for young possums to explore unfamiliar places,” Inga said in a WIRES statement. “Because they’re nocturnal, Holly likely found the wreath’s greenery inviting and decided it was a comfortable place to rest instead of heading back to the bush.”
After gently removing the possum — whom Inga named Holly — the rescuer examined her for any injuries. Thankfully, the tiny marsupial was perfectly healthy.
Inga then released Holly into the nearby bushland behind the house. The possum wasted no time climbing a paperbark tree, settling into a fork in the branches and immediately drifting back to sleep.
Seeing Holly safe and back where she belonged was a rewarding moment for Inga.
“I was so happy to return her to the wild so she could spend Christmas at home,” she said.
What began as a surprising holiday decoration turned into a heartwarming reminder that wildlife sometimes chooses the coziest places — even if they happen to be hanging on a front door.