Wildlife rescuers called to a deceased female kangaroo and her joey in Melbourne were overwhelmed with emotion when they found a male kangaroo standing over his deceased partner and trying to help her. Rescuers observed the male stroking the female looking clearly distraught over her loss and the fate of his baby. These dedicated rescuers wanted to share these images “to show the world that kangaroos are victims and feel pain and compassion, which is very apparent by the look on his face” .

Nikki Sutterby, President of the Australian Society for Kangaroos said in response to this image;
 
“Kangaroos are family animals with close family bonds and complex social structures. They are regularly witnessed in the wild and in care actively protecting their family, showing deep loyalty and affection, and distress and grief when they die. The impact of the unrelenting slaughter of these sensitive family orientated creatures across the Australian outback every night is horrific, yet most Australians remain unaware”.

The 6 month old joey rescued from his mother’s pouch was taken to a nearby wildlife shelter but sadly died from his injuries shortly after. They named him Floyd.

December 2022