Wildlife carers in the south West have begun receiving this year's crop of orphaned kangaroo joeys. Some will be furred, others unfurred "pinky's" like this little Western Grey female delivered to Wildlife Carer Sheila Howat at Tortoiseshell Farm in Bridgetown recently.

Travellers are urged to check the pouches of dead kangaroos and follow some simple first aid action until the joey can be passed onto a carer. Joeys can readily die of shock, so they need to be able to hide, be kept warm and quiet and away from children and pets. It is ideal to place them in a clean pillowslip and then wrap with a blanket or jacket. Young joeys cannot regulate their body temperature, so once you have them home, place the whole bundle into an esky (lid off of course) with a luke warm hot water bottle in the bottom. Kangaroos and all macropods are lactose intolerant, so please don't feed them any sort of milk. They need a special formular. It is better not to give them anying to drink. But if you cannot get help for a prolonged period, you can offer up to 20mls of luke warm boiled water, but not forced with a syringe or you risk shooting it into the lungs.

The raising of a very young joey is a big commitment. Orphans like this little girl need to be fed every 4 hours day and night for several months and then 6 hourly for months more, and won't be ready for release for more than 12 months.

For more information on kangaroo rearing, or to pass on a joey, contact Registered Wildlife Rehabilitators with the Department of the En vironment and Conservation. SHEILA HOWAT 97611089 at Tortoiseshell Farm, Bridgetown