AKIPRESS.COM - Last month, a Melbourne, Australia-based wildlife rescue service received a five-month-old orphaned possum spotting a curious genetic mutation.

The mutation reduces the amount of melanin produced by the animal, giving its fur an unnatural goldish colour; the possum was later named after the Japanese cartoon character Pikachu, The Age reported.

The golden coat is more of a curse than a blessing; it makes it extremely hard for the creature to survive in the wild; thus, the rescue team decided not to release Pikachu in its natural habitat.

Pikachu is not the only possum in Australia that has the unique fur colour; however, such species are rarely found in the wild.