Curious Critter Highlights Bond Between Students And Animals At Aussie University.

a two-photo collage. the first is of a bird perched on a university of newcastle australia sign. the second is of a brush-tailed possum smiling as it looks down from an open ceiling tile.

When you’re a student at the University of Newcastle in Australia, you never know when or where a cute little study buddy will pop up!

For this student, it happened while they were in a lab. Everything seemed normal at first but, suddenly, she realized that someone was watching her nearby. In some circumstances that’d be absolutely terrifying, but in this case, it was just a sneaky brush-tailed possum who was eager to learn!

“This is a picture of a cheeky possum watching the students during lectures,” she said of the photo her husband shared on Reddit. “This guy comes here often.”

And he isn’t the only one! Because of where their campus is located, there are dozens of native species all around. Best of all, school officials are happy to share that they work hard to keep these beloved creatures safe as they co-habit the same space.

“With over 116 bird species, 14 native animal species, 11 frog species and 18 reptile species calling our campuses home, we’re committed to ensuring ecological sustainability and safeguarding these precious ecosystems,” the university wrote on Facebook.

This sort of arrangement isn’t the sort of thing every university student is used to but the students here absolutely love their animal friends!

“Nobody is scared because these creatures are friendly,” she said.

The university added, “You can always count on the Callaghan Campus to provide a ‘brush with nature’ experience!”

Don’t forget to share the story of the University of Newcastle’s adorable friends with your own friends.

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