{"id":473954,"date":"2026-02-17T14:17:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T14:17:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/473954\/"},"modified":"2026-02-17T14:17:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T14:17:10","slug":"council-workers-kind-act-after-startling-find-in-thick-aussie-bushland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/473954\/","title":{"rendered":"Council workers’ kind act after startling find in thick Aussie bushland"},"content":{"rendered":"

Council workers scouring remote bushland for a highly invasive weed<\/a> leapt into action last week after making a startling discovery wedged between rocks. Staff from Lake Macquarie council<\/a> in NSW were working to protect native plants from lantana<\/a> when one of the team \u201csaw something moving out of the corner of his eye\u201d.<\/p>\n

A closer look revealed that the figure was an \u201cobviously distressed\u201d wallaby that had somehow found itself stuck between two large mossy rocks.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt had clearly been there for quite a long time. It was struggling to get free, and so we tried to give it a gentle nudge, but there was no reaction,\u201d Rezak Boudjema, a site supervisor for the council\u2019s Natural Areas Project Team, said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was this thought: \u2018Oh no, it\u2019s got a broken leg or a broken back or something\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Photos show the wallaby firmly wedged between the rock masses as a volunteer with Hunter Wildlife Rescue tends to it.<\/p>\n

The woman first \u201ccovered the wallaby\u2019s head to minimise stress\u201d, Mr Boudjema said.<\/p>\n

The council team and volunteer then worked together to \u201cgently” wriggle the adult male free.<\/p>\n

It was then placed in a large plastic carrier and hauled out.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a two-person carry, and it took about 20 minutes to get it out because there\u2019s no defined tracks in there \u2014 it\u2019s pretty rough bush,\u201d Mr Boudjema said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really proud of the effort, which showed great teamwork and cooperation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The animal was stuck between rocks and took more than 20 minutes to be freed. Source: Lake Macquarie City Council<\/p>\n

Wallaby on the mend after distressing ordeal<\/p>\n

The wallaby was rushed to the Animal Referral and Emergency Centre at Broadmeadow, where it underwent X-rays.<\/p>\n

Miraculously, it didn\u2019t have any broken bones.<\/p>\n

The animal was then handed over to a specialist marsupial carer, who named him after the suburb he was found in \u2014 Valentine.<\/p>\n

The title seems especially fitting since the wallaby was found just a few days before the romantic holiday, Mr Boudjema said.<\/p>\n

Valentine is \u201crecovering slowly\u201d from the ordeal, with \u201cthe ultimate goal of being released back in the wild\u201d, Hunter Wildlife Rescue Vice President Kerry Walker said.<\/p>\n

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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