An Aussie mum of four was in “total shock” after a swamp wallaby dumped her joey at her feet. Tracy McKendry was on her morning walk through Warrnambool on Victoria’s southwest coast when the unexpected situation confronted her.
“It’s a really residential street, and I saw this wallaby coming towards me,” she told Yahoo News.
“I thought, Oh my gosh, my family is not going to believe this.
“I happened to have my phone in my hand, so I thought I’d get some video evidence to prove it was there, and then the next bit happened, which was so crazy.”
In her 14 years living in Warrnambool, Tracy has never seen a wallaby in her suburb, and when one left its joey behind, she had no idea how to respond.
“I was in total shock, it was just so unexpected,” she said.
“I really thought the mother would come and pick it up, but she kept going.”
In Tracy’s 18-second video of the encounter, she can be heard exclaiming, “Oh Jesus,” and then, “Oh God, Oh no, What am I meant to do?”
The footage, which was later shared online, has been viewed over 117 million times.
Woman unsure how to help wallaby joey
Tracy was concerned that if she picked up the joey and put her human scent on it, the mother might reject it.
It’s a common myth that many Aussies also believe about baby birds, but there’s absolutely no truth to either.
The video has been viewed by tens of thousands of people around the world, with many wondering how they should respond if confronted by the same situation.
Tracy McKendry had hoped the mother wallaby would come back and collect her joey. Source: Tracy McKendry
Why the joey was ejected from the pouch?
Deakin University ecologist Professor Euan Ritchie explained to Yahoo News that it’s rare for the mothers to come back after they evacuate a joey from their pouch.
The behaviour is believed to be an involuntary response to feeling threatened.
Because it has been observed in multiple macropod species, including Western Australia’s quokkas, it’s thought to have evolved millions of years ago, when predators like thylacines, Tasmanian devils and even marsupial lions still roamed the mainland.
“When macropods feel really stressed and think they’re going to be eaten by a predator, it’s very common for them to throw the joey as they escape,” he said.
“It’s obviously pretty tough on junior.”
When birds flee a threat, it’s common for them to evacuate their bowels, so they’re lighter and can fly away faster.
But Professor Ritchie believes the behaviour of macropods throwing joeys is more likely to have evolved to create a distraction.
Quokkas are also known to evacuate joeys from their pouch when stressed. Source: Getty
How to respond if you find a joey at your feet
Hoping to further educate the public, he suggested anyone who sees a wallaby or kangaroo hopping down a suburban street should stand well back, or you could inadvertently add to the mother’s stress as she tries to avoid you.
“Being chased by dogs can also cause the same outcome,” he said.
“Mothers typically won’t come back for their joeys, so they should be carefully placed in a dark, soft box or cloth bag and taken to a wildlife shelter as soon as possible.”
What happened to the joey?
Unfortunately, the mother wallaby never came back.
Tracy did the right thing and immediately called Mosswood Wildlife, a rescue and rehabilitation centre, for help and a specialised macropod volunteer was organised to collect and care for the animal.
It will now be raised in care until it reaches adulthood, and then released into the wild.
“I really never had any experience with wallabies before, so I had no clue what to do, but I’ve learned so much from this,” Tracy said.
“I’m really grateful for the response from Mosswood in coming straight out, and the care they showed to her was beautiful.”
While she doesn’t expect to see another wallaby in Warrnambool, the encounter has changed how she sees her suburb.
“There are plenty of magpies around, and lots of other birds, I really appreciate the surroundings now,” she said.
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