More than 50 sugar gliders are on their way to Massachusetts after being rescued in Puerto Rico earlier this year, MSPCA-Angell announced.
Sugar gliders are small animals, roughly the size of a squirrel, that use a thin membrane between their wrists and ankles to glide between trees, as described by National Geographic.
The MSPCA said the 51 Massachusetts-bound sugar gliders have been cared for by the Caribbean Manatee Conservation Center in Puerto Rico since their rescue this spring.
As of Monday, the Humane Society of the United States and the New Jersey-based St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center were helping transport the gliders to the MSPCA’s adoption center in Methuen.
The sugar gliders are expected to arrive in Methuen on Wednesday.
“We hope to make these little friends available for adoption very quickly and we promise to keep you updated on their progress,” the MSPCA said.
While the sugar gliders will go up for adoption, the MSPCA urged interested people to “do some research.”
“These are complex little animals that need very special homes,” the MSPCA said.
The MSPCA is also seeking to collect fleece pouches to help keep the sugar gliders comfortable.
