2020-04-01 Reader\'s Digest AUNZ

andsheimmediatelybegantakingin
rescuedtreeroosthathadbeenhitby
carsormauledbydogs,butshewas
surprisedatthelackofinformation
availableabouttheanimal.
“ManyAustraliansdon’tevenknow
treekangaroosexist,”Karensays,who
completedaPhDin 2005 atJames
CookUniversity,documentingthe
ecologyoftheLumholtz’streekanga-
roospecies.“WhenI startedmyPhD,
I evenhadonefamilymembersay,‘I
thinkyou’vebeensittingintherain-
forestsmokingtoomuchdope!’Well,
I don’tsmokedope,”Karenlaughs.
“AndthenI gottheusual‘Oh,aren’t
theydropbears?’kindofcomments.”
Asthecouplebecameknownin
the area and demand grew, Neil built

severaloutdoorenclosuresas

wellasa smallhospital,while

Karenmonitoredtheongo-

ingcareoftheanimalsand

setuptheTreeRooRescue

andConservationCentre– a

not-for-profitorganisation

thatwouldallowherto raise

much-needed funds.

WHEN I ARRIVE to meet

Karen,she’sbusyunloading

auteloadofleafybranches,

whichshetellsmeisonlyone

day’ssupplyoffoodforthe 16

treerooscurrentlyinhercare.

Shebeckonsmeintothehos-

pital,whichlooksmorelikea

holidaycottage,tomeetoneof

hercharges.

“ThisisLillie,oneofourbigba-

bies,”Karensays,bendingtopickup

a plump,eight-kilogramtreeroorest-

ingonanoldcouch.Lookingrather

likeanoversizedpossumbutwithan

extra-longtail,LilliesnugglesintoKa-

ren’sneck,clearlyenjoyingthecuddle.

“Shecameinasa youngster,blind

andwitheye damage,”Karenex-

plains.“She’dbeenattackedbya dog

andhada fracturedanklethatturned

intoa boneinfection.Shecomesin

thehouseeverydayandisa staron

ourFacebookpage.Neilbringsher

upaboutfiveinthemorning,andshe

climbsontheropesandshelves,that’s

herplaytime.”

Withthehospitalatcapacity,Karen

then leads me through her house

Lillie,ablindtreekangarooinKaren

Coombes’ care, gets her daily cuddle

27

Tree Kangaroo Mum