Sydney’s Taronga Zoo has bestowed the name ‘Matilda’ upon a rescued female Platypus puggle, paying tribute to Australia’s victorious women’s soccer team at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.
The name Matilda means ‘bold, battlefield warrior’ and represents both the women’s soccer team and Taronga’s puggle, who is going from strength to strength.
Found weak and malnourished on the NSW Central Coast, Matilda nicknamed ‘Tilly’ for short, was admitted to Taronga’s Wildlife Hospital in April 2023, weighing merely 280 grams.
Thanks to dedicated care from Taronga’s Platypus experts, who hand-fed her six times a day for two months, she has made substantial progress.
Matilda, approximately eight months old now, has successfully transitioned to independent feeding and weighed in at 694 grams.
Taronga Wildlife Hospital’s Dr Jess Whinfield stressed responsible waste disposal as key to safeguarding wild Platypus populations.