Good NewsPlayful platypus loves getting a little attention — and belly rub
Conservationists such as Brett McNamara are used to finding wild animals in strange places. But this small female platypus has a remarkable tale of survival, having been found under a large off-road vehicle’s bonnet close to the Murrumbigee river, near Canberra.
Got a case of the Monday blues? Maybe a ticklish platypus will cheer you up.
Watch the playful creature enjoy a little physical affection — and a hand-feeding — at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia, below.
"This beautiful platypus loved playing in the water and loved a tickle! She was so friendly and ate food right out of my hand!" wrote the YouTube uploader, a member of Cute Creatures Great and Small.
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If you, too, want a platypus to eat out of your hand, Healesville Sanctuary is the only place to visit. And no, females like the one in the video aren't dangerous to friendly visitors. Only the males have venomous spurs.
"There is only one place you can do this in the world and that's at Healesville Sanctuary," wrote the uploader.
According to the sanctuary's official site, "Healesville Sanctuary is internationally renowned for its role in Platypus care and research and was the first in the world to breed this unique creature in captivity. Meeting the Platypuses at Healesville Sanctuary is an important way to connect with the animals of Australia, and to learn about the Zoo’s conservation programs, especially those aimed at conserving threatened native species."
