SYDNEY, March 19 — A wild possum joined stuffed furry friends in an Australian airport gift shop this week, surprising travellers in an adorable case of hide and squeak.

Staff at Hobart Airport in Australia’s Tasmania state said the disoriented marsupial was spotted among the stuffed toys yesterday.

Video showed the critter nervously perched on a shelf, seamlessly blending in with the toy kangaroos and bears.

“We always knew our plushie toy collection was lifelike, but it seems we finally got the ultimate seal of approval,” store manager Liam Bloomfield said.

“We were very happy to see a special local visitor stop by our terminal gift shop to browse the toy aisle and see if it could find some new friends.”

“We’re just glad we could provide a cozy resting spot in our store,” he added.

Airport employees were quickly on-hand to return the animal to its rightful place in the great outdoors.

“Only in Australia and only at Hobart Airport could a local possum pop in for a quick browse among the souvenirs,” an airport spokesman said. — AFP