By Romy Stephens
Emerald’s Geoff Sands captured an incredibly-timed shot of a yellow-bellied glider taken when he and his late wife, Elaine, raised it many years ago.
The glider, called Mickey, was found on a walking track close to Mr Sands’ house.
“It was found locally here by an Emerald walker. It was on the ground of a walking track, close-by to where I live,” Mr Sands said.
“The person made some local vet inquiries and then they delivered it to us to look after.
“We were volunteer wildlife carers of orphaned and injured wildlife, for many years.”
Mr Sands said the couple raised Mickey from about 50 grams to 650 grams.
He said the glider was fully-grown when the “fluke” shot was taken.
“He landed on my forehead and also on the camera as I was about to photograph him.”
According to Mr Sands, Mickey went into a breeding program at Healesville Sanctuary with a female yellow-bellied glider that came from the Taronga Zoo in Sydney.
Mr Sands said he was told the program unfortunately failed in the end.
