Two unusual pets have gone viral on social media thanks to their wholesome exploits.
Sibling sugar gliders Rose and Winston have attracted millions of fans on TikTok after their owner started sharing sweet videos of the pair going about their daily lives.
David Ahlzadeh, 22, from New Jersey, US, took the palm-sized possums in when they were seven weeks old and has been with them for over a year.
He has owned sugar gliders in the past as they are one of the few pets that don’t upset a family member’s allergies – and he is now a firm fan of the sweet breed.
But the adorable pets aren’t just loved by David, and now spread joy on TikTok after David started a page for them sharing videos of their daily exploits.
The page has attracted 23 million likes to date and a legion of dedicated followers.
In one of their most viral posts – which was liked more than one million times and attracted tens of thousands of comments – one of the sugar gliders can be seen leaping through a patch of grass.
One fan commented: “Why is it so…perfect?”
“Definition of pure happiness,” another user said.
Someone else added: “Why is this so precious.”
A sweet video of the pair enjoying a small cup of jelly, with the possums taking tiny bites of the treat, racked up more than 318,000 likes.
One person commented: “What kinda animals are them and where can i get one, they are so STINKIN CUTEEEE.” [sic]
Another user described the clip as a “cuteness overload”.
Another post shows the creatures going about their daily life, enjoying a snuggle with David before taking a nerve-wracking jaunt across a rope strung up across the room.
“When your on a covert mission,” one user joked. [sic]
Another person commented: “That’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Someone else dubbed the creature a “realistic baby yoda”.
David is thrilled with the positive impact his pets have had on their viewers.
“As somebody who has personally struggled with their mental health it would be really cool to see them become beacons of positivity for other people,” David, an entrepreneurial engineering student, told Jam Press.
“I am only one person running the account so I can’t respond to every comment and DM, but I see how much love Rose and Winston get, and the fact that I’m able to make people smile or brighten their day up through Rose and Winston’s videos is such a great feeling.”
The palm-size possums can glide the length of a football pitch in one trip and are often compared with flying squirrels.
When bringing sugar gliders into the home, it is important that they come in a pair as they can easily become depressed and even suicidal – so it was a perfect fit when David rehomed the siblings.
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