Kangaroos, wallaroos and wallabies released at Rocklily
2013-14 Ryan & Missy, eastern grey joeys at about 6 kg each. Our first macropods had arrived at Rocklily. They seemed so small to be left out in our pen! The local house mob had joeys at foot at the same size. After a number of weeks Ryan & Missy were quite at home in their pen, having found a little hideaway among the bracken to bathe in the sun, or sheltering in their shed from the rain. The local wallabies, roos and wombats would pass their pen through the bracken so both got to see who was around. We started exercise and walks outside the pen when we were sure they would hang around for their evening roo nut treat (it's just compacted lucerne). They were timid at first, and came out only a few metres, while we calmly sat on our chairs nearby reading with the little green bucket they had come to associate with their nuts. Just sitting with the wild mob nearby eating was very relaxing, and as the weeks went by Ryan & Missy did laps around the shed and house, and moving among the mob, getting roused on if too close to a big male. We were glad to see they were not chased away, but calmly accepted. Missy was far more daring than Ryan and a few months older and would bound up the cleared hill behind the house to where most of the big boys hung out.
We have gone on to release another 27 macropods here in the following years (just got to get time to write about them all). We lost 3 only—one from a twisted bowel, one had a stroke, two died from cocci within a week of arrival and Benny swallowed a sharp object, possibly bone as they like to eat bones for nutrition.
2013 Bob, a swamp wallaby seen about twice a year now. Neddy, red-necked wallaby released 18 months and returned unwell and died.
2014-15 Rusty, red-necked wallaby still seen occasionally as her colour was striking. Lee, Ginny, eastern greys released. Annie, Winnie, Cracker and Stunner, all wallaroos. Winnie returned with a badly infected eye, it took a while to heal and she's made Rocklily part of her home area. Stunner is her mate, they have had 2 male joeys over the last few years and another is around. Not here all the time. Many were rescued from local roads, and deemed unsaveable, a couple just took a week or so to get over concussion before being released here away from roads. 2015-16 Sadie, eastern grey, seen occasionally. We can identify Sadie by her ragged ear. Dawn, swamp wallaby. She was quite big and humanised, took 18 months to release. Wild one, swampy sub adult. Leggs, Lithgow, Ella, all wallaroos. Released well. Blue, Red, male wallaroos, released. Annie, female wallaroo, returned with double fracture L7. Back in care and healed as was in position (pain relief and stress relief). Milo, eastern grey joey, didn't make it, died shortly after arrival from cocci. Benny, red-necked wallaby. Mum ran into a watertank here, sight-impaired. Little joey Benny was rescued and got cataracts. He was operated on and sight fully returned to one eye with a scar to be removed to give full sight in other. But he ate a sharp object, possibly bone, and after July 2017 was eu by Dianna :-(( Tink, red-necked wallaby, buddy for Benny. After 8 months died of a stroke.
2016-17 Jatz, Johnny, Johnny in a bucket, Julie, Jules, Jojo, eastern greys. The females are part of the house mob. Boys off to the men drinking mob. Jojo male and Dee, released. Jojo returned with a sliced open foot many months later, after a lot of work was re-released.
2018 Resting release pen—too many eastern greys in local mob and inundated with wombats.