I Found A Joey

 Always check. A joey can survive for several days in the pouch of its dead mother.

1. Personal safety is important. Do not put yourself in danger.
   Pull off to the side of the road in a safe position and visible to traffic in both directions. Pull the dead animal well off the road.
2. Check to see if it is male or female by looking for either testicles or a pouch. If it is a female with a joey in the pouch, this is usually immediately visible. If unsure whether a small joey may be in the pouch you can feel the pouch area for a lump. Place your hand over any small lump you can see and gently feel it.

If  you have found a joey please wrap it in a tee-shirt or towel to keep it warm. Keep it in a dark, quiet environment. You can gently cover their face, as they stress less when in a dark, cosy environment.

If you find a dead female wallaby with a joey in her pouch, examine the situation. Use your hands to pinch the fur or skin and lift to stretch the opening of the pouch so that you can see inside. If necessary,  use a torch to look right to the bottom.

 When removing the joey from a dead mother’s pouch remember that it may have sustained injuries not yet noticeable.

To remove the joey from the pouch use a towel or cloth and glove it over your hand. Reach in very slowly and gently and try to envelop the joey. Doing this will also rub the mothers scent onto the towel which will help keep the joey calm after it has been removed.

If the joey is still suckling on the teat DO NOT pull it off. Often pinching the dead mother’s teat will cause the joey to release. If it is a furred joey, you can gently try to ease it off the teat, again DO NOT PULL.

If you must cut the teat, cut the teat off at the ‘base’ close to mother. Tie the end of the teat, still in the joey’s mouth, off with a piece of string, shoelace or even a safety pin to prevent joey swallowing the teat.

Being  careful in case the joey is injured, gently wrap the joey in something soft (a tee shirt, tea towel, bath towel or in a pillowcase etc.). .

It is very important to keep the joey warm but not over heated. Young joeys cannot regulate their own temperature

The best place to are for the joey is down your shirt/jumper or, if you have any passengers have one of them hold the joey.

In your vehicle make sure the radio is turned off and keep the joey in a quiet, dark and warm environment.

Do not try to feed the joey . Joeys can only have a special formula: anything else could kill it

Contact the Wallaby Refuge

0400 243 842