Overview
- A browsing passenger spotted the animal around 11:45 a.m. on March 18 at the Lagardere AWPL store in Hobart Airport’s departure terminal.
- Liam Bloomfield, a retail manager, identified the creature as an Australian brushtail possum and said it appeared calm on the shelf.
- Airport staff escorted the possum from the terminal without harm, and operations continued after the store area was cleaned.
- Video recorded inside the shop by Melissa Oddie circulated widely on social media, drawing national and international coverage.
- How the possum entered the secure area remains unknown, with reports noting a prank is unlikely because it would have required X-ray screening, and staff have only speculated that nearby redevelopment could be a factor.