'Hero' horse fends off attackers after kangaroo mauled
Without help from the horse, rescuers don't think the tiny joey would have stood a chance.
A “hero” horse has protected a kangaroo joey after she became separated from her mother. The frightened creature was found in a paddock with injuries consistent with fox attack marks and she was in a desperate state.
The wounds were so severe, they brought an experienced wildlife carer to tears. Shane Williams from Bridgetown Wildlife Rescue documented gashes on her neck, two rips across her ear and extreme swelling around her jaw.
Speaking with Yahoo News on Friday, she recalled the moment she first saw the kangaroo and her heart broke. “It was just her little eyes, it was like she was looking into my soul,” she said.
It was only through a stroke of luck that the joey, who carers later named Judy, found her way into the paddock where Gentle George was kept.
The horse’s owner had wondered why he was refusing to join the rest of his herd and was refusing to eat, so he decided to investigate. It was only then that he discovered George was standing guard over the little kangaroo.
Why 'hero' horse protected tiny joey
Williams explained it’s not unusual for joeys to become separated from their mothers and then attacked by foxes. “At her age, when they’re just getting out of the pouch and becoming independent, they become brave and venture away from mum,” she said.
“If a fox is waiting they'll just pounce, and there's nothing mum can do.”
Judy was extremely skinny when she was found, indicating she’d been separated from her mum for some time. Gentle George is known to love other animals except for dogs and foxes — and so would have instinctively protected her.
“He’s a very unusual horse. And an absolute hero,” Williams said.
Did the joey survive her injuries?
It’s been almost two weeks since Judy was rescued from a farm in Bridgetown, around 270 km south of Perth. Williams said she’s recovering well, and the swelling has gone down around her jaw.
“She puts her hands up to be picked up, she’s a beautiful girl. I find when joeys have been harmed and know their mum is no longer around, they’re very loving. They’re very intelligent animals, and so innocent,” she said.
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