Raising ‘Roos in the Australian Outback with...

Raising ‘Roos in the Australian Outback with @thekangaroosanctuary

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What’s life like for a young joey at the Kangaroo Sanctuary (@thekangaroosanctuary)? “You’ve got to imitate mom’s pouch. For a little orphaned kangaroo, we put him in a pillowcase, and we carry him around by holding him to our stomachs, so he can feel our breathing and the warmth of our bodies,” says Christopher “Brolga” Barns, who spent a decade as a zookeeper before establishing 200 acres (81 hectares) of bushland in Alice Springs for raising and rehabilitating kangaroos, earning himself the nickname Kangaroo Dundee. “It’s a very common animal in Australia, and we take it for granted. So I wanted to set up a place that celebrates the animal.” Brolga leads tours of the sanctuary — which many visitors are surprised to learn don’t begin until sunset. “A lot of people are unaware that they’re actually a nocturnal animal,” he explains. Despite his love for raising ‘roos, Brolga’s overarching mission is to promote a natural coexistence. “It is really a lifelong dream to be able to have wild animals in your care, and to watch them grow up; and then one day, if everything goes well, watch them run off into the sunset and live a wild life.”

by via Instagram Blog