Sadly, hit and run incidents involving kangaroos are all too common in Australia and can leave both mothers and their babies hidden in their pouches in serious danger. At the end of May, a kind man named Steven noticed an injured kangaroo along the side of the road. Knowing that he had to help, he slowly approached the animal and quickly discovered that it was not just one life in danger, but two.
Source: Macedon Ranges Wildlife Network
As he got closer, he saw the tiniest arm begin to reach out of the kangaroo's pouch.Realising that the pair needed more help than he could give, Steven contacted Wildlife Victoria, a non-profit, volunteer based rescue organisation.They arrived on the scene shortly after and managed to capture the heartbreaking moment when they young baby reached out of his mother's pouch. Sadly, volunteers soon realised that it was too late for the mother and she passed away, leaving the tiny kangaroo an orphan.
Posted by Macedon Ranges Wildlife Network on Tuesday, 30 May 2017
They brought him back to their shelter and gave him a new name, Dawson.Kangaroos are extremely reliant when they are young and so staff are doing everything they can to ensure that Dawson is well cared for. In particular, Christine Gilbert took on a huge role in caring for the little animal and described toThe Dodohow she is 'now his mum.'
Source: Macedon Ranges Wildlife Network
To help Dawson socialiseand cope without his mother, the staff at the shelter have introduced him to another orphaned kangaroo named Nelson. The pair has become extremely close and can't stop cuddling.As they grow up together, they will slowly be introduced to other kangaroos and will have less and less contact with humans until they are eventually able to be returned to the wild as independent kangaroos ready to fend for themselves.
Source: Christine Gilbert
Wildlife Victoria encourages those that see kangaroos injured in driving accidents to always check their pouches for babies, as all too often they are left without help and so won't survive.Thanks to the wonderful work of this association, Dawson, along with countless other baby kangaroos, should be able to have a normal life back in the wild once he is big and strong enough.To support Wildlife Victoria and help them to continue their amazing work, you can make a donation by clicking here. To find out more about how to help injured kangaroos and their babies, you can follow their guide on pouch checks here.
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