By ALESHA CAPONE
THE case of two half-starved kangaroo joeys who were allegedly kept as pets inside an Altona concrete courtyard has shocked wildlife carers.
A volunteer from the Werribee-based Wildlife Out West (WOW) shelter, Dawn Stanford, cared for the joeys last month after they were seized by the Department of Sustainability and Environment.
Ms Stanford said the pair of female joeys were in a feeble condition they were delivered to WOW.
“They were very low-spirited, very malnourished, very dehydrated and very stressed,” she said.
Ms Stanford said the tiny joeys were allegedly kept as pets for children at a residential home in Altona before the DSE seized them.
Ms Stanford said the unrelated joeys were allegedly confined to a concrete courtyard at the premises, after their mothers were illegally killed – possibly for dog meat – within the Edenhope region.
Ms Stanford said the joeys were aged less than nine months old when they were rescued by the DSE.
“The people in Altona had them for around two to three weeks,” she said. “If they’d had them any longer they would’ve been dead.
“At that age they’re only very young and still predominately in their mother’s pouch around 75 per cent of the time.
“We fed them a specific formula with supplements while they were here and put on a special exercise regime, as they were so malnourished.”
Ms Stanford said the joeys – whom she nicknamed Matilda and Mabel while they were at WOW – “are both very loveable little girls”.
A few weeks ago the joeys had recovered enough from their ordeal to be taken to another wildlife carer in the country before being released back into the bush.
Wildlife Out West is run by volunteers to care for sick, injured and orphaned native Australian wildlife. See www.wildlifeoutwest.org to make a donation.
Under the Wildlife Act (1975) the unlawful possession of protected wildlife can result in a maximum fine of $7042 and/or 6 months’ imprisonment.
Residents who know about wildlife being kept illegally or who find injured wildlife can contact the DSE on 13 61 86.
