An exceptionally rare sighting in the Gibson Desert.
A Pintupi woman named Yalti Napaltjari spotted the rarely seen northern marsupial mole while travelling with a group of Aboriginal rangers from the Kiwirrkurra Indigenous Protected Area in Australia.
Sightings of the northern marsupial mole, or kakarratul, average 5–10 per decade according to Australian Geographic. These eyeless animals spend most of their lives underground, burrowing through sand dunes.
The golden-colored mole darted in front of the group’s four-wheel drive. One of the rangers grabbed hold of the creature and took it down the road before releasing it.
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The Tjamu Tjamu Aboriginal corporation has posted a video of the marsupial mole digging itself back into the ground on their Facebook page.
Details about marsupial moles are relatively scarce since they spend so little time above ground. Their strong resemblance to the golden moles of Africa, which also inhabit desert dunes, is a remarkable example of convergent evolution at play.
From above, they also bear an uncanny resemblance to the hair of a certain US presidential hopeful. But their tiny faces are arguably much cuter than Trump’s.
Courtesy of Tjamu Tjamu Aboriginal Corporation – Kiwirrkurra/Facebook
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