It’s been a sad week for macropods this week. In the past three days I’ve had three rescues of very small joeys. The two wallaby joeys furless and fragile. Our WILVOS 5441 6200 Hotline has had many other calls for kangaroos and wallabies. These are usually hit by cars or chased by dogs. One lady had to have her young son hold a joey as she moved a dead kangaroo off the middle of the road. Definitely a budding junior WILVO.
Drivers need to drive carefully in the Ninderry area as it is a ‘highway’ for eastern grey kangaroos also. Fairhill Nursery called about a young joey by itself, calling for his mother. He had been seen the afternoon before. Having been out all night by himself he was very cold and small enough to be able to catch.
Being just over two kilograms in weight this poor little animal would have spent most of his time in the pouch. Tragically, there was a beautiful big female on the road close by. She had only just been killed that morning. On checking the condition of her pouch, it certainly appeared that she was the mother of the young one. If kangaroos do become separated, mothers will often hear the young calling. This one was so close to finding her joey.
So many kangaroos are hit by cars in that same spot on the road but some drivers just can’t slow down. Macropods can jump in front of a car even when we are travelling slowly, but with a speeding car in these ‘hot spots’ they have no chance.
Please take extra care on the roads, especially in these next few months of early darkness. For your own safety and that of our precious wildlife.
Donna Brennan Wildlife Volunteers Assoc Inc (WILVOS) PO Box 4805 Sunshine Coast Mail Centre Q 4560 PH 5441 6200 www.wilvos.org.au