Mum Kangaroo Dundee

Rusty:  Hey, Jan, I've decided what I want to be when I grow up.

Jan:  What's that?

Rusty:  I want to live in Kangaroo Dundee's sanctuary in the outback of Australia. 

Jan:  What?

Rusty:  Seriously.  I want to watch Roger the kangaroo chase Chris "Brolga" Barns (Kangaroo Dundee) around the trees.  That sounds like such fun.

Jan:  Only if you're Roger the kangaroo because a kick from a roo that size could disembowel a man.

Rusty:  But it's so important Roger keep in kick boxing shape so he can protect his family.  And he's got a lot of roo women and joeys to protect.

Jan:  Perhaps I shouldn't have let you read the book Fozziemum brought us from Australia.

Rusty:  But it was such fun to read.  Brolga is a real life hero mom.

Jan:  I think you mean a real life hero dad.

Rusty:  No, I mean mom.  He rescues baby kangaroos from the mom's pouch when she's been killed by hunters or a vehicle and raises them in a pouch, just like the joey's real mom would.  Well, except the real mom wouldn't raise the baby joey in a pillowcase.  Then they are released into the wild.  Except some can't be because they are too tame or have a disability.  He started a sanctuary for them and now he's raising orphaned camels and other animals.  He's also building an animal hospital in the heart of the outback.  How cool is that?

Merci: Sorry, to interrupt.  I couldn't help but overhear so I'd like to add my two paws worth.  This is not a book review!  But if you like to read animal rescue stories, or stories of someone building something from nothing that educates and aids animals, this is a book for you.

Rusty:  Fozziemum is posting on her visit to the U.S.  Last week she wrote about her visit to the Funny Farm.  Stop by to read Meeting the Funnyfarmers. We love the photos of us she posted.  Some of us ran away and hid but those that didn't met Bev and her camera. 

Merci:  And in case you missed Bacon's post Travels in the South.  Or our post Our Mystery Guest.  We have great memories from that day.

Rusty:  We don't want to load you up with links to visit, but just in case you are interested in learning more about Brolga, the BBC has ( or had?) a TV series on his roo rescue and he can be found on YouTube.   A search for "Kangaroo Dundee" will bring up the BBC shows as well as other videos.

Merci:  He also has a website:  The Kangaroo Sanctuary Alice Springs.   We hope you have fun learning about kangaroo rescue.  We did.

Chenoa Manor

Chenoa Manor Animal Sanctuary rescues animals, but it takes in farm animals instead of cats or dogs. Situated in Chester County, Pennsylvania -- or Pawsylvania, as Khyra calls it -- those with no other place to go are taken in.

"For the past six years, Teti has been offering shelter to all sorts of troubled individuals at this last-resort sanctuary tucked behind a development of staid McMansions in Avondale, just west of Kennett Square. Here, on 25 acres of Andrew Wyeth-worthy pastures, streams and split-rail fences, an unlikely combination of visitors reaps the benefits of a safe space: rescued farm and exotic animals get room and board, and disadvantaged teens learn compassion and care during visits spent working with and studying the animals. Teti sees each as a group that's too often overlooked." You can read the rest of the article here.

And you can get acquainted with some of the animals at the sanctuary by visiting Chenoa Manor Animal Sanctuary's website.