Community & Business
25 May, 2023
Learn how to save a joey
LOCALS have the chance to learn how to rescue injured or orphaned kangaroos, wallabies and other marsupials through a special macropod rescue course being hosted this Sunday at the Jackaroo Motel by wildlife group, The Agile Project.
The Agile Project is a wildlife rehabilitation and rescue service. They attend sites of car strikes and other accidents where there may be injured or at-risk macropods – native large-footed animals such as kangaroos, wallabies, paddymelons and the like.
The group has been around since 2018 and was initially started as a wallaby relocation group, which specifically targeted the wallabies in Cairns’ northern beaches and relocated them to safer areas.
They also rescue birds, flying foxes, snakes and more – they specialise in native species to Far North Queensland.
“We are the people that voluntarily come out and rescue them and then if there is an orphaned joey or the animal can be saved, they come into care where we eventually put them back into the wild,” Agile Project founder Shai Ager said.
The techniques being taught during the course can also be used on most marsupials.
“I’ve tried to make it nice and entertaining for everyone and you get to learn how to rescue an injured macropod – usually one that has been hit by a car and has a broken leg, been paralysed or been attacked by dogs,” Ms Ager said.
“The cuter side of it is that you learn how to save an orphaned joey, a lot of people, especially Australians, know that you can save a joey but they don’t know how to correctly remove it from the pouch without causing further damage.
“It is essentially learning how to do Steve Irwin things.”
Registrations for the course begin at 9.30am on Sunday for a 10am start, it costs $25 and includes a manual and certificate upon completion – kids under 16 are free.
To register your interest head to www.theagileproject.com.au/join-us
