Sugar Glider Rescue: Hope for Gliders

Do you know what a sugar glider is? I didn't, until I began reading about EFA member kaczie's charity - a sugar glider rescue called Hope For Gliders. I asked kaczie (Danielle) for more information and she responded with a great write-up about gliders and glider rescue, and wonderful photos of her own two sugar gliders and their cage. These beautiful and sensitive animals are abandoned far too often - thankfully, there are caring people out there who are helping them.

Danielle says:

Sugar gliders are small, nocturnal, arboreal marsupials native to Australia that have a gliding membrane called the patagium that extends between their front and back legs. They can live up to 15 years in captivity (4-6 years in the wild). They bond by scent and will form a strong bond with their main caretakers. In the wild, they live in colonies of up to 30 gliders, so in captivity, they need to be kept in pairs or larger groups. They eat insects, small vertebrates, and sap of the eucalyptus, acacia and gum trees and extract the juice from their meals by pushing the food between their two front teeth.

Gliders are becoming more common as pets because they have few health problems and form a close bond to their owner, something that most other small pets do not. However, glider ownership must be carefully considered - gliders require daily attention, out of cage time, a large cage (most people use large bird flight cages), fresh nightly prepared meals from one of the "accepted" glider diets available (there are no commercially prepared glider foods), are messy eaters who get food everywhere, and must have access to stimulating toys. If gliders don't have these things, they will become bored and depressed, and can develop health problems. Many people do not have the time to dedicate to these creatures for 15 years.

Unfortunately, people purchase gliders on impulse, and don't realize how much work they can be, so gliders often end up being dumped at rescues (or worse yet, being dumped outside). They sometimes are bounced from home to home but eventually, many will end up in a rescue. Change stresses gliders, so a glider rescue may become a glider's forever home simply so the glider can relax and finally feel loved/wanted. Other times, they will be adopted out to caring new homes that have been prescreened by the rescue.

Glider rescue requires funding and dedication. Since gliders require fresh meals every single night, rescues go through a lot of food. Because gliders are exotic animals, vet costs are not cheap and many vets are not experienced enough to handle glider care. Rescues must cover these expenses for each and every glider, and also provide them a cage, toys, bedding materials, specialized wheels, companionship, and more.

For more information, or if you'd like to help, please see
Hope for Gliders website
Jeanne's Hope for Gliders blog on the Best Friends Network
Gliders available for adoption from Hope for Gliders
(Hope for Gliders currently does only local adoptions in the Dallas, TX area, but may be able to provide referrals to rescues in other areas.)
by mishkat