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The term ‘Macropod” means ‘big foot’ – not in the terms of the mythical or otherwise creature but in the size of the foot of our native Kangaroos and Wallabies.

QUESTIONS to consider before fostering.

Are you willing to make the commitment? The care of a joey could take up to eighteen months.  During this time you will tied to the needs of the joey.  Holidays become almost impossible and other family interests are severely inconvenienced.  If you have small children, it will be like having another baby in the house.

Do you have the facilities? A quiet room to give the animal time away from noise and outside stimuli. 
There will be extra laundering, due to those small accidents that happen with having a baby. 
You will need a variety of pouches, increasing in size, to allow for the natural development of your joey.  They need to have room for the joey to move freely, with enough area to turn around in and climb in and out of comfortably.  In nature a joey rolls into its mum’s pouch, so it needs to have space to roll into and out of the pouch that you supply. 
Time to make up formula on a daily basis. 
Is your yard dog proof and fenced to a suitable height?  Do you have a dog or cat that may be a threat to your joey? In the house your joey should have no contact with any domestic animals – this is so when it is released, it will see cats and dogs as the threat they are instead of part of the family.  For outside, a separate screened yard, that is dog and fox proof.  It must have ample room to exercise to strengthen their heart and muscles. 

Can you care for the Joey 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?  Depending on the age of your joey you will need to feed it 3 -4  hourly day and night.  Is it fair to take the joey to work and what happens when the joey becomes too big to take out with you?  As they get older and stay at home, they need to be in a safe enclosure to ensure their physical wellbeing, and they should be raised with another joey of a similar age and size (and preferably the same breed) so that they develop the mob instinct that is necessary for survival in the wild. 

Can you afford the extra costs involved?
You will need to provide milk formula, teats, hay, grasses, grain and cereals.  You will need pouches, and baskets or stands. 

Can you cope with the losses?  Your joey may have been orphaned through a road accident, and may suffer unknown injuries, and unfortunately die.  Stress is the biggest killer of macropods that come into care.  Will you be able to handle the trauma?  Bear in mind you may not be able to save every animal that comes into your care.  You must also be prepared to pass on any animal that is beyond your possibilities. 

Whatever the decision you make, the ultimate goal is to release the joey back into the wild.  Your joey is not a pet.  Ornaments and collars are definitely not permitted.  Any decision you make now will affect the life of your joey.  If you are not sure, seek advice.   Help is only a phone call away. 

FIRST AID:
If you come across live, injured macropods, call the RSPCA on 1300 animal. 
If you come across a macropod that has been killed on the side of the road, check first to see if it is a male (buck) or female (doe).  There is a distinct possibility that if it is a doe, there may be a joey in the pouch.  If the joey is attached to the mother by the teat, DO NOT pull the joey from the teat – this is a certain death sentence!!
Call an experienced carer for help, and they will talk you through removing the baby from the pouch in that situation.  Alternatively, bring the dead mother and live joey to an experienced carer.  Be aware that if the joey is still attached to the teat, the only way to save the joey is to place a safety pin in the teat above the joey’s mouth, and then, ensuring that the mother has died, cut the teat with a sharp knife or scissors.  Place the joey in a bag or pillowcase, and pin the teat to the side of the bag to prevent it from being swallowed by the joey.  Keep the joey warm and quiet until it can be passed to an experienced carer. 

Depending upon the species and the weight of the joey please be aware that not all joeys are viable.

IDENTIFYING YOUR JOEY

There are numerous species of macropods, however, we have only touched on those species that come into care most often in the Queensland South-east region.  Please consult a published macropod guide if yours does not fit into these categories.  You can also go to the help page on the website on www.onarr.org.au to look up a Register Head for macropods for further help. 

EASTERN GREY KANGAROOS
Eastern Grey Kangaroos are usually a uniform shade of grey, often with a tinge of cream or brown.   The end of their tail is always black.  As adults, their habitat can be forests and woodlands, but they do graze in open paddocks at dusk, or if there is no-one around.   With overcast days, most species of macropods will come out to graze in open paddocks.  Their natural food source is fibrous grasses, but they also eat barks and leaves and dirt. 
Eastern Grey Kangaroos are the second largest species of macropods, and an adult can reach up to 2 metres in height.  Males can weigh up to 70 kg, with females being around half the males weight.  These are the hardest joey’s to raise due to being emotionally delicate – they have been known to expire for no apparent reason.  A stressful situation that happens today can manifest itself as a fatal incident in six weeks time.  
Eastern Grey Kangaroos are the most adorable creatures to raise.  They have definite personality traits, and enjoy personal contact with their carer.  They do not always respond well to others.   They are not pets and should not be treated as such.  You cannot leave them to be baby sat while you go away.  The time frame for raising an Eastern Grey Joey can be around 18 months – so plan holidays for before or after you take one on. 

RED-NECKED WALLABY
Red-necked wallabies – these are the animals that come into care the most often, and they are much less liable to stress, but can still suffer from it.   A quiet environment is still needed for raising them successfully. 
Red-necked Wallabies are a reddish brown to grey in colour, with a beautiful red ruff around the back of their neck.  They all have a pale cream jaw line, with a matching cream underbelly. 
Their natural habitat is scrubland and forest, and they are not often seen in open paddocks, but they can be found on the side of the road in times of drought eating the lush grass. 
Red-necked Wallabies grow to less than a metre in height.  Males are heavier as adults than the females.  As a general rule, males can weigh up to 23 kg, whilst the females can grow up to 16 kg. 
These wallabies are fairly independent but still bond well to their carer.  Having a second one eases stress factors for them.  

SWAMP WALLABIES
Swamp Wallabies are very similar to a Red-necked Wallaby when they are little, but they are genetically very different to all other wallabies.  The colouring is layered – a dark undercoat with a light overcoat.  Colours range from almost black to rufus (orange-red).  Swamp wallabies are inclined by nature to be a solitary animal but will feed in mobs in the evening or at night.  Personality wise they are more rambunctious than Red-necked Wallabies, but can also stress to a greater degree. 
Their preferred habitat is thick undergrowth, and forest woodland.   They will eat fungi and dirt, brackens, and fibrous grasses and barks. 
Swamp Wallabies are slightly smaller than Red-necked Wallabies – bucks can grow to around 18 kg and does grow to around 12 kgs. 

RED-NECKED PADEMELONS and RED-LEGGED PADEMELONS
These are the smallest macropods that normally come into care.  Both species are a greyish brown, with red on the shoulders and neck.  In the case of the Red-legged Pademelons, there is also red down the hips and back legs. 
These little creatures are often in pairs in the wild, and therefore do better raised in pairs in captivity.  They are naturally shy.  They mature very quickly so are not in care for an extended period of time. 
Dense rainforest (sub-tropical) is their preferred habitat.  They eat leaf litter, forest fruits, grasses and shrubs. 
Red-necked Pademelons and Red-legged Pademelons grow to around the same size – for both males and females 4 to 7 kgs, so they are quite small. 

FEEDING MILK FORMULAS
Under no circumstances feed your macropod dairy products or substitutes ie cows milk or soy products. 
There are a number of products available, specifically for marsupials.  It is up to the individual carer to decide to choose the product that best suits them and the particular animal they are raising.   The three major products are Biolac, Wombaroo and Divetalact.  All are usually available from veterinary clinics, care organisations, produce stores or the manufacturer.  Onarr does have Divetalact for sale in limited amounts to carers. 
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the product you have purchased. 
Be careful that you know the true weight and species of the macropod you are feeding, to ensure that they are getting the correct formula.  Quantities and formula instructions change as the macropods grow.  If in doubt, ring an experienced carer for advice. 

HUSBANDRY
Equipment necessary for raising a macropod:

• A basket  or a stand – which is always left in one spot so that the joey always knows where it is (NOT a bag hanging from a chair or door knob – these are accidents waiting to happen – joey’s can break legs tumbling from a hanging pouch.  They must have access to and from the pouch as they would in the wild.)
• Pouches – various sizes and plenty of – these little creatures are not house trained
• Tissues or toilet paper – ample supply!!
• Heating – a heat pad, hot water bottle or feather pouch or a combination of all. 
• A Thermometer – to check the temperature of the bag to regulate the heat
• Bottle and teats for feeding – for one macropod it is sensible to have at least 5 of each.
• Scales for weighing your joey and your milk powder

All Macropods need to be toileted after each feed. Gentle stimulation of the cloacae of the joey with a tissue or soft cloth will facilitate their participation.

This is information is written from our own experience with raising ringtails.  We have collected and collated the information over several years, gained from sharing information with other carers.  This publication is designed to provide an overview of the subject matter covered, and whilst due care was taken in writing the materials, no liability is accepted for any error, omission or reliance upon information or advice. 

Kerry & Wayne Johnston, Beverley Clarke ©