Hand-rearing keeper saves wallaby

Hand-rearing keeper saves wallaby

Red-necked wallabies are originally from Tasmania

A safari park keeper has saved an orphaned wallaby by hand-rearing her in a rucksack.

Beverley Allen of Longleat Safari Park carries the tiny animal around in a substitute pouch made from a rucksack, lined with pillow cases and nappies.

Beverley, 23, rescued the red-necked wallaby, named Kimberley, after the animal's mother died soon after giving birth at the Wiltshire-based safari park.

She said: "We knew we would have to act quickly if we were going to be able to save her and I just volunteered to adopt her.

"At first it felt strange to be carrying this rucksack around wherever I went, but after a while you do get used to it and I hardly notice the extra weight now."

At birth, Kimberley weighed just 20 grams, or less than one ounce, and was little bigger than a baked bean.

Bottle-feed

She would have crawled through her mother's fur from the birth canal into the pouch where she began to suckle. Early feeds proved vital to her surviving - until her mother died.

Now Beverley, from Frome, Somerset, has to bottle-feed Kimberley every three hours, day and night, and must keep up the role of surrogate mother for up to 10 months until the wallaby is strong enough to join the rest of the 30-strong group.

Kimberley is fed a mixture of rich milk substitute normally used for orphaned puppies and vitamin supplements.

Red-necked wallabies are originally from Tasmania and eastern Australia, although they are hardy enough for harsh British weather.

A number of small groups survive in the wild in places like Derbyshire and Sussex, originating from zoo escapees.