“All he wants is to be loved.”
As Teesh Foy raced through the suburbs of Perth, Australia, she kept her eyes on the roadside. Her dad, an animal advocate and carer, had alerted her that someone was in trouble. She hoped she could help.
Suddenly, she saw him. Stumbling alone through an orchard, crying out for his mother, was a baby kangaroo. Foy and her husband began the long process of coaxing the joey into one of the pouches they’d brought. The kangaroo was very fast and scared of humans. When he disappeared further into the orchard, Foy worried she’d never see him again.
“My heart was breaking for him because he was so scared,” Foy told The Dodo.
Foy and her husband kept at it. Eventually, the tired, hungry kangaroo realized that Foy, who is an experienced wildlife carer, was there to help. He allowed Foy to capture him and relaxed into her loving embrace.
The kangaroo, whom Foy named Archie, was still very nervous when he got to Foy’s house. In the wild, joeys live in their mothers’ pouches for the first six to nine months of their lives. Archie missed the warmth and safety of his mom. Luckily, Foy was happy to act as Archie’s adopted mother. She held Archie close to her chest so he’d feel secure and gave him all the affection he was missing.
“I would catch him and cuddle and kiss him,” Foy said. “He just loved the closeness.”
Foy soon connected with Shane Williams, who runs Bridgetown Wildlife Rescue. Williams had the knowledge, space and resources to ensure Archie got the care he needed before being safely released back into the wild. Foy was sad to leave Archie but knew it was for the best.
“Making this decision was difficult and heartbreaking, but I knew it was the right decision,” Foy said. “I only had him for 10 days, but he stole my heart so quickly.”
At the sanctuary, Archie’s been able to form friendships with other rescued kangaroos. These kangaroos will eventually create their own community, or “mob,” and once they’re ready, will be released into the wild together.
“Kangaroos are highly social, and thrive with a mob,” Williams told The Dodo. “Archie now has a ready-made mob, his siblings.”
Archie has been enjoying all the activities that kangaroos love to do — playing, eating, sleeping and lazing around with his friends, just as he would’ve done in the wild. Williams is so proud of Archie’s resilience. He’s been through so much but has maintained the kindest attitude.
“Archie is very gentle,” Williams said. “All he wants is to be loved.”
Though he’s still working through the trauma of his young adulthood, Williams knows that, in time, Archie is going to adjust and lead a full, happy life.
“Archie will heal,” Williams said. “[His] future is bright.”