WOUNDED ROO AND JOEY REUNITE AFTER ATTACK

News Source: Sunshine Coast Daily, page 9, Saturday 9th October, 2004

Sporting a look only a mother could give her child, the kangaroo that almost died from an arrow would during the week welcomed her baby back with relief yesterday.

The 6kg joey, that was being looked after by wildlife carers in Gympie, was taken to the wildlife hospital at Australia Zoo to be reunited with the roo and to feed on mother’s milk again.

Australia Zoo marketing manager Peter Lang said he had noticed the distressed roo had settled down considerable since seeing its joey.

Hospital vet Jon Hanger said the severely wounded kangaroo was now “bright and alert” and well on way to recovery.

Mr Hanger said he hoped to be able to release it in about a week, but he was not sure returning it to its Gympie habitat was safe after what happened. “The person who did this might want to finish off the job,” Mr Hanger said.

The animal was found with an arrow pierced through its body and carrying a joey in its pouch at Curra, near Gympie, on Wednesday morning.

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