Pincushion has been in care with us for six months now,
and she's grown like crazy.
She's obsessed with her termites.
She loves her food, as you can tell.
She's over doubled in weight since she first arrived.
Now she's spending time in this big area to prepare her for life in the wild.
So when Pincushion first came to us, she was dug up on a construction site.
OK, ready for an x ray?
So we'll take a lateral x ray, but there's no signs of fractures or any abnormalities like that,
which is great news.
So great news Luke, we can't see any fractures.
Oh, awesome.
That's really cool.
I guess that was the big concern being dug up.
Absolutely.
Sometimes we see really nasty shovel injuries around the beak
and this little one has been free of all of that.
Awesome.
Aren't you lucky little Pincushion!
Pincushion is the first puggle that I've actually raised.
So through Covid, we had so many animals coming in and fewer and fewer people able
to care for animals
that I put my hand up and said I'll look after this little one.
So she came home and she's been such an incredible little puggle
and I'm so excited to see her returning to the wild soon.
Puggles spend their first few months underground
and the mum will go out and feed come back, the puggles will have a drink of milk
and mum goes back out.
So Pincushion was fed once every five days, which super easy for a baby animal.
She then started eating termites.
Most of their diet in the wild is termites.
So hard job to find lots of termites while she's been in care but now she's in this big area,
she can go and forage for herself.
So it's winter here in Australia.
She'll be released.
We'll keep her in a fenced area and will feed her over winter,
and then after winter will open up the gate and she'll be free to go wherever she likes.
So this week, she'll be released back into the wild.
Releasing animals that you've raised is always bittersweet.
I love Pincushion.
She's been such a highlight over the last few months,
having her at home and seeing her grow.
But I'm so happy at the same time that she's going to be back out in the wild
and hopefully one day having puggles of her own.
Today's the big day for pincushion, we're here at Australia Zoo's conservation property
in the great dividing range in Queensland.
The perfect spot for pincushion to be released.
She was found not far from here, and she's completely protected.
The property is never going to be developed.
It's for conservation of wildlife.
So there's plenty of koalas around.
So we couldn't think of a better spot for little pincushion to live out the rest of her life.
Terri and I have just dropped her off here.
We've found some termite mound to keep her occupied for the next few hours
while she settles in.
And it's kind of a bittersweet moment, she's been such a big part of our lives for the last six months,
living in my lounge room.
And now she's here, back in the wild where she belongs.