Quick Thinking Saves Joey After Roadside Discovery

Little Joe is now safely in the hands of a wildlife carer. Photo credit Terrain NRM

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A tiny joey has been given a second chance thanks to the quick actions of Terrain NRM team member Tamsin McLeish, who discovered the little wallaby while travelling home from Etty Bay.

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Tamsin came across a wallaby that had been hit on the road and stopped to safely move the animal and check whether there was a joey in the pouch.

“When I rolled her over, I saw two tiny paws and a tail poking out and then some movement. I panicked! I’d never rescued a joey before and had no idea if it was injured,” Tamsin said.

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With no phone available to contact wildlife rescuers, Tamsin turned on her hazard lights and waited for another driver to come by and assist.

Thankfully, help arrived within minutes. Using a flashlight, Tamsin was able to carefully remove the joey, later named Joe, from its mother’s pouch and place him into a fabric bag to provide comfort and help mimic the safety of a pouch.

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Tamsin contacted The Agile Project – Wildlife Rescue, who connected her with a Mission Beach wildlife carer. Despite the late hour, a carer was able to take Joe in.

After driving the joey to his new carers, Tamsin was told Joe was lucky and had no injuries.

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The carers have continued to provide updates and photos as Joe begins his recovery.

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