🔄 Mixed-Up Meetings | A Glider Switcheroo at the Grove

As Mini and Junior grew up, it became clear that their little joey days were behind them. It was time for them to move on from their childhood homes and find new companions of their own.

But glider introductions don’t always go according to plan—and neither do glider Keepers.

🧭 Finding the Right Match

Mini couldn’t stay with her father, Papa, and Junior was suddenly alone after losing Mama. So we started exploring new cage mate options.

First, we introduced Junior to Benji, who had also been flying solo. It didn’t go great. Junior was vocal and assertive, while Benji—selective as ever—wasn’t interested. Rather than force a bond, we gave them some space and went back to the drawing board.

Around the same time, Meg suffered a foot injury that resulted in an amputation and a two-week recovery period. Once she was healed, we thought she and Louis, both part of the Sharq family and already living together peacefully, might be good companions for Mini. Since Louis was neutered, it was a safe match—and happily, they got along beautifully.

We were thrilled. Mini had found a calm, welcoming new home with the Sharqs. Junior was doing well on his own for the time being. Everything seemed perfectly in order.

Until it wasn’t.

🎭 A Classic Glider Mix-Up

One day, after some one-on-one bonding time, we put the gliders back in their cages… and accidentally switched Mini and Junior. We didn’t realize it at first. After all, they were nearly identical as joeys, and both were still growing into their adult features.

That’s when Benji started barking at the glider in the cage below him. This was unusual—Benji was notoriously picky and not one to show interest in others. But barking? That was a good sign. It meant he wanted to interact.

We decided to try another introduction. And to our surprise—it worked! Benji and “Junior” got along. They began grooming, snuggling, and forming a bond. We were over the moon. Finally, a friend for Benji!

Only… it wasn’t Junior.

🙃 Realization, Bald Spots, and a Twist

About a month later, we noticed that the glider who was living with Meg and Louis had developed a bald spot—a typical sign of a mature male sugar glider.

Wait.

But Mini was a girl.

Except… she wasn’t. Because she was actually Junior.

And the glider living with Benji, who we thought was Junior, was actually Mini all along.

The switch had happened during routine bonding time, and neither glider had complained. They had seamlessly adapted to their new homes—without us even realizing the error until biology finally gave it away.

💡 Lessons from the Grove

This mix-up became one of our favorite “learning moments” at the Grove:

• Glider personalities can surprise you. Once Junior (in disguise) joined Meg and Louis, he settled in wonderfully—more proof that environment and companions matter just as much as temperament.

• Benji finally found his match in Mini, a mellow girl who didn’t challenge his boundaries. Their unexpected bond helped change the way we thought about pairing gliders.

• And most importantly, we triple-check cage assignments now. 😅

• We also learned a big lesson about neutering: Even if we don’t plan to pair a male with females, delaying neutering can backfire. Accidents happen—gliders get switched, introductions go differently than expected, and before you know it, your best-laid plans need a backup. These days, we don’t put it off.

Sometimes, things in the Grove don’t go according to plan. But more often than not, they turn out even better than we hoped.

Coming soon: New joeys, surprise lineages, and the curious case of the twin boys with one white tail tip.
🌿 The Grove Keepers