Found on the street in an urban area, a teeny tiny bush baby made a remarkable transformation. Only nine grams when found, this was the smallest bush baby the caretaker had ever seen. The poor little critter was named Pebble by his caretaker. In addition to being super tiny, the bush baby was almost bald, with huge patches of pink skin showing everywhere. He fit in the palm of his caretaker’s hand with room to spare.
A bush baby, or galagos, is a tiny nocturnal primate with huge, saucer-like eyes. There are at least 20 different species, and they spend the majority of their lives in the trees. You may also hear of them referred to as nagapies, which is the Afrikaans word for “night monkeys.” The large eyes help them see at night. They also have large ears that can collapse or rotate independently (like a radar dish). These special features allow bush babies to detect prey at night. Jumping from tree to tree in the forest canopies, they are able to hunt flying insects easily.
Now that you know a bit about bush babies, let’s return to our star, little Pebble. Within the first two weeks, Pebble managed to double in weight. This was good news and made his caretaker more optimistic about his odds of survival.
Bush babies are communal and rely on one another to survive. They adapt well to changing circumstances and making new friends. The caretaker posted updated images on Instagram to show Pebble’s progress. Pebble was alone for about two months before getting a new friend. He had filled out significantly, grew beautiful fur, and was more recognizable as a bush baby.
The two youngsters were a little frightened at first but settled in together rather quickly.
Bush Babies Preparing To Return To The Wild
There are now five bush babies in the caretaker’s outdoor habitat. They sleep together in a small enclosure and have the ability to roam the entire enclosure. This living arrangement will assist them in learning how to survive so they can return to their natural environment.
The five “siblings” will remain with the caretaker through to winter, forming a communal group. They will return to the wild in the spring as a group.
What an amazing transformation for little Pebble. From frail foundling to robust, fuzzy, and absolutely adorable! If you enjoyed this “coming of age” adventure, please share.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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