Ozzie arrived at my place draped regally on the back seat of his “mother’s” car. He was a rather large joey, and no longer used to being in a pouch, and fortunately was quite used to be carted round in the car. Problem was, his mother had to go into hospital, and would be laid up for quite some time afterwards, and he needed to learn to be a roo again, and to be released in due course. So he came to me.
His mother wisely insisted he go into his rather oversized pouch until he got used to my yard. He was much too large to be inside, but he still needed a time of adjustment. When he saw this strange environment, he was quite happy to stay in his pouch, and after his arrival, we organised his pouch so it was hanging from the fence, and at this stage he couldn’t get out of it. So he just sat there, completely in the pouch till he got used to things. His mother left me some spare pouches, and some fruit cake (his favourite). I decided I would only resort to the fruit cake in dire emergencies…..he wasn’t going to get fruit cake out in the bush unless he was going to start raiding kitchens, so I thought this was one thing he should be weaned off a.s.a.p. He was still on bottles, even though he was past the size of needing one, but I continued on with those, because that would help him to settle.
During the afternoon, it became obvious he was settling, because he was hanging his head out of the bag, and nibbling at the grass nearby, so I lowered his pouch, so he could get out when ready. I checked on him periodically, and after a while he ventured out. He fed quite happily on the grass till something startled him, and he bounded straight back to the pouch and somersaulted in with such gusto I thought he would give himself concussion! But after a few minutes the head re-emerged, and all was well again. I was happy with this reaction because I knew he would be able to find his pouch at need.
Over the next few days he settled in well. The only problem I had with him was that as soon as the back door was opened, he would make a beeline towards it…didn’t matter where he was in the yard, and try to get into the house. I was firm with him, and on the occasions that he did “break in”, I quickly steered him back out again. I was determined he had to realise he was an outside animal, although I could understand his wish to get back in….that was what he was used to.
After a few weeks of solitude, another roo was brought to me. She had been reared by another lady, and was looking for companionship, so I was hoping she and Ozzie would get on well. Ozzie was head and shoulders bigger than her, but after a few days of mutual shaking and running away from each other, they accepted each other, and became friends. This was the best thing that could have happened to him. He had been so long without other roos, he had forgotten some of his instinctual behaviour, but with her companionship, it began to return.
The weeks and months passed, and they both grew. Ozzie thrived, but the little girl was never quite as robust. I realised Ozzie was a survivor, but she would need extra t.l.c. if she was to make it. I had made arrangements for both the roos to be moved to a new home, from where they could be released, and got in a supply of valium for the move. These people had a roo that they had raised, and she was a bit younger than Ozzie. Then I got a phone call saying there was a family emergency, and they couldn’t take the roos till they came back. This was a bit of a pain, but could hardly be helped. However the local show was coming up, and a feature of the show is fireworks. The showground is only about two blocks from my place, so we would get the full force of the noise, and it would be very unsettling for the roos. I had hoped to move them before the show…but it was not to be. So I used the valium to dope them before the fireworks started, and hoped it would help. They were both too big to be brought inside….unless of course it didn’t worry me that my house was being trashed. Ozzie sailed through the noise and smoke and flashing coloured lights without turning a hair. I think he wouldn’t have worried even without valium. Unfortunately the little girl didn’t fare so well, and took it much more to heart. Afterwards she just didn’t thrive, and about three weeks later, she sickened and died.
Round about this time, I got a phone call from the people who were to take the roos. All was back to normal, and they were ready to take them. I explained that there had been a mishap, and now it would only be Ozzie, but final arrangements were made. And more valium purchased. The appointed day arrived, and Ozzie had his valium milkshake, and was placed in an old large haversack that I move large roos in. No majestically travelling in the back seat this time….he was ready to be a wild roo, and wild roos freak out in the back seat. He had come a long way. We arrived at the peoples’ place, after a half hour drive. Ozzie was still a bit doped from the valium, which was good, because he had a whole new set of people and environment to cope with….plus a new roo. And she was very territorial! She was not happy to see him at all! She hissed at him and kicked at him…..this was much more aggressive than the usual trembling and running away from each other. He took it all in his stride and did his best to just keep out of her way, while finding some nice grass to eat. She eventually went off and found her own grass to eat, but kept looking his way suspiciously, and if he got too close, the hissing would start again. I stayed with him longer than I normally would, because most roos call a truce fairly quickly, which mellows into friendship over a few days. I wasn’t used to her behaviour. Normally after sitting with a roo for half an hour or so, it is safe to go inside and have a cuppa while just watching through a window. This time however, we had our cuppas outside, in case we needed to step in. But after a time, eventually she calmed down. Ozzie, as normal for him, was quite cool about the whole proceedings, so I decided it was safe to come home.
Every few days they would ring me and tell me how they were getting on, and all was proceeding well. They had passed the truce stage and becoming friends……..until………Ozzie found a hole in the fence, and went exploring……and found wild roos! They rang me in a panic! I told them there wasn’t really much they could do, because after all this is what we were trying to achieve….we just hoped the two would go together. However, next morning, he was back for his bottle, as though nothing had happened. He stayed a couple of days, and then went again. They were very concerned, but I was thrilled. They wanted to mend the hole in the fence, but I advised them just to let him come and go as he wanted, but to be aware he would stay away longer each time. This is what he did. So their little girl had to be released alone, later, but like Ozzie, she came and went over a period of time….and now there are two roos who actually watch them from the herd. They won’t have anything to do with them, but they respond to human voices, and take a little longer to hop away than the others.
It’s lovely to know they’ve made it…
Mamaroo's Diary 