🐾 Benji’s Stand-Alone Story | Lessons from a Lone Glider

Sugar gliders are colony animals. That’s one of the first things we learned—and one of the first things Benji challenged.

By the time we brought the Marsh Trio into the Grove, we had already attempted to bond Benji with five different gliders—a mix of females, neutered males, and unneutered males. And every single time, the answer was a firm and fuzzy no.

🧩 Not a Fit

It wasn’t for lack of trying. We followed the introductions slowly and cautiously. Sometimes things seemed promising at first—sniffing, quiet moments, even a little curiosity—but ultimately, every attempt led to conflict, fussing, or outright fights.

We knew Benji wasn’t aggressive, but he was... picky. Incredibly so.

This was especially concerning because sugar gliders are known to be deeply social. They cuddle, groom, sleep in warm piles, and rely on their colonies for comfort. Lone gliders, we were told, could become depressed or even self-harming without companionship.

But Benji?

He stayed bright-eyed, active, and curious. Despite being physically alone in his cage, he showed no signs of depression—a complete surprise to us, given everything we’d read and been told.

🏡 A Cage in the Middle

We began to wonder if our setup had something to do with it. From the very beginning, Benji’s cage sat between the others, positioned so he was always surrounded by glider chatter, movement, and familiar scents. Maybe that proximity helped him feel connected, even without a snuggle buddy of his own.

We couldn’t be sure—but we were thankful.

That said, Benji still wasn’t getting the full glider experience. He wasn’t being groomed or cuddled. He wasn’t sharing a pouch. And we knew he deserved more.

🐾 Learning on the Fly

We were still new to glider care at the time—just a few months into what would become our growing Grove. In that short window, we’d gone from zero gliders to six, and our lives had filled quickly with tiny paws, midnight snacks, and more glider quirks than we could have imagined.

We made mistakes. We learned. We researched. And most of all, we watched.

We didn’t rush to bring home a new glider just for Benji, even though we were always on the lookout. After five failed introductions, we knew we needed to be careful—not just for Benji’s sake, but for the sake of any glider we might add.

So we waited. We watched. And in June, when Mama underwent surgery for a facial abscess, the Grove changed again.

⏳ What Comes Next...

This was a season of growth, of stepping back and learning how to care not just for gliders, but for the individual hearts within our colony. Every one of them has their own story. And Benji? His would take a little longer to unfold.

But he was worth the wait.

Coming soon: new life in the Grove, and the bittersweet story of the first joeys ever born here.
🕊️ The Grove Keepers