PEANUT the bettong will have another crack at life thanks to volunteers at Eagles Nest Wildlife Rescue in Ravenshoe.
The "little sweetie" survived an attack by a domestic cat or dog in his mother’s pouch and was brought to the sanctuary weighing only 120g.
Chief baby animal carer Karin Traub said Peanut’s mother was killed in the attack and Peanut was found in a back yard next to her mother’s body.
"She was lucky and was taken to Eagles Nest by her rescuer when she was little bigger than a peanut, weighing a mere 120g," Ms Traub said.
"She now weighs 280g and our courageous little Peanut comes out from her pouch on her own to explore her world."
Ms Traub said Peanut was a rufous bettong, and her relatives live in forests and woodlands along Australia’s east coast, from the Far North down to the Murray River.
"Although Peanut’s mother was killed by a domestic pet, the bettong’s main threats to survival come from land‑clearing, competition from rabbits for the remaining food and predation from foxes," she said.
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