General News
30 October, 2023
Lucky roo rescued from mineshaft
Although the saying warns that curiosity killed the cat, a local’s inquisitive peek into a mineshaft has, on the contrary, ended up saving a roo. For Maryborough resident, Simon, an ordinary bike ride in the bush — near the Bull Gully Aboriginal...
Although the saying warns that curiosity killed the cat, a local’s inquisitive peek into a mineshaft has, on the contrary, ended up saving a roo.
For Maryborough resident, Simon, an ordinary bike ride in the bush — near the Bull Gully Aboriginal Rock Wells — a couple of weeks ago, took a dramatic turn when he just so happened to peer inside a four metre deep cavity in the ground.
Not expecting anything but rocks and dirt, Simon was surprised to find a kangaroo staring back at him from the shaft.
“There it was, looking at me in a way that felt like it was pleading for me to get it out,” he said.
“The probability of finding it was pretty low, it’s a miracle really because I looked inside because I’m just generally curious about mine shafts.
“I knew I had to rescue it so I called [my partner] Nikki and asked her to see if there was a wildlife group around that could help us.”
After receiving the call from Simon, Nikki got in touch with local rescuer India Armstrong from the Central Goldfields Wildlife Rescue (CGWR).
“India just came out, dropped everything she was doing, and called a guy from Ballarat as well who came in with a tranquiliser gun — they knew exactly what they were doing,” Simon said.
“They couldn’t rescue the kangaroo unless it was tranquilised so after they did that we got a ladder and put it down the shaft.
“We had to tie the ladder to a tree and also had to tie a harness and rope to the guy going down because sometimes mine shafts have a false bottom — when the guy went down, we were all just watching and waiting in anticipation.”
Following his descent, the rescuer announced to an eager group waiting at the top that the kangaroo wasn’t alone — it was carrying a joey.
“He went down and scooped them up and put them in a harness-like thing and then we hoisted the kangaroo and joey up,” Nikki said.
“It was night time by then and it was pitch black, it was a bit adventurous.
“What really impressed me was that the wildlife rescuers had all the necessary equipment ready to go. They were really prepared and so they ended up saving the lives of the kangaroo and its joey.”
Seeing the rescuers in action, Nikki encouraged other residents to also consider volunteering with the local wildlife rescue organisation.
“It’s a really good feeling knowing that we were able to save it and it wasn’t really injured either,” she said.
“We couldn’t have done it without India and her team — the commitment they have to the animals is amazing and it would be good if there were more people to help out.
“Wildlife in Australia is pretty amazing and if we can do anything to preserve it that’s great, whether that’s volunteering or donating to CGWR.”
To find out more information on how to donate to the Central Goldfields Wildlife Rescue or to volunteer contact the organisation on 0499 654 950 or 5463-2585.
