My Kangaroo

November 2010 - May 18, 2011

On March 18th I got a roommate. She was a little 4 month old Red Kangaroo. I didn't realize what I was getting myself into when I signed up to bottle raise her. At first it was getting up every 2 hours to feed her. It was making sure that she was in her pouch. It was making sure she wasn't too hot or too cold. It was holding her and loving her.

As time went on I got another Kangaroo to hand raise, Shelia. Shelia was an Eastern Grey Kangaroo. Although I loved both of my kangaroos I did play favorites, and Shell was mine. We bonded. She showed her love for me. She would follow me around while I was getting ready for the day. She would want me to hold her. Whenever I was laying on the floor, writing a letter or in my journal, she would come over and lay on me. She was my kangaroo.

At the end of April it finally hit me that I was leaving soon. That would mean leaving my kangaroo and that will be hard for her. So I made it my goal that by the time I leave for Colorado that she would be a big kangaroo, that she would be outside living with the others. And I made that goal. It was a slow process of going outside for 5 - 10 minutes with the other kangaroos. I would sit under a tree in the pen while shell would socialize with the other roos. And eventually Shell was an outside kangaroo! She was an outside kangaroo for about a week. She was doing wonderfully and enjoying herself. I would still go down every morning and night to give her a bottle and I would sporadically check on her throughout the day. She was my baby and I was mommy! I would call her name and she would come hopping as fast as she could to me. I remember last Sunday Gwen was giving a tour to some people and was outside at the Red Kangaroo pen. The people wanted to pet Shell, which was totally fine. Gwen had tried to get her but she was too fast. Sunday was my day off so I was upstairs when Gwen called me to come down and help here. By the time I got outside all the roos where excited and jumping around like crazy! Well that meant Shell was too. Shell loved hopping. Whenever any other kangaroo would hop off she would get so excited and caught up in the moment and start chase after them :) So by the time I get there she was so excited and hopping around everywhere. It looked like she was playing a kangaroo version of tag. But as soon as I went in the pen and called her name she changed directions and hopped right up to me! I loved that little joey.

Wednesday morning I went to give her her bottle, like any other day. I called her name a couple times, but she didn't come. I wasn't too worried. It wasn't out of the norm for her to be in the back, caught up in following one of the other roos around. I would walk a bit towards the back and all the roos would stand up and look at me trying to figure out who it was. As soon as Shell realized it was me she would come hopping up to me. So I stared walking out back and I see her. She's not standing up looking for me she's laying down in the back corner. I ran up to her yelling her name and she didn't move. I ran inside and got Kim, I was afraid to touch her. Afraid to feel a stiff, cold body. Kim carried her inside and I ran and got Gwen. Kim gave Shell to Gwen. Gwen sat down with her, her eyes started to water. Everyone loved Shell and everyone was sad to see her this way. Shell was dead. I knew it when I saw her, but I didn't want to admit it to myself. Gwen gave her to me while her and Kim want to go get a pillow case to put her in. I sat in that room for a while. I sat there holding Shell. Holding my kangaroo. I sat there holding my kangaroo, crying. Eventually Gwen and Kim came back with the pillow case. I put her in and left. We were sending her to Texas A&M University to get a necropsy done and I didn't want to see them put her in the fridge to keep her cold. I left and did what I always do when I'm upset, went on a run. A long run.

That was a hard day. By 8 I was so tired, upset and drained so I went to bed. The next couple of days was rough. But I made it through. I'll always miss my kangaroo but life goes on. Today is a new day and I control what kind of day I'll have.

I miss you Shell. I miss my baby. I miss my kangaroo.

Shell in the kitchen with HER rug. She loved that rug. I would find her sleeping on it during the day.

This is Shell and Enforcer Cat in the patch. She wasn't quite sure about him. He obviously knew she was trouble.

When I would take Shell outside she thought she was just as tough and big as the other kangaroos. This is Shell and Jade having a standoff.

Shell and Lindsey getting aquatinted.

My little shadow. This is one of Shell's first time being outside.

Shell and I were outside in the Patch. The camels and pig scared her so she went running off. It was really windy, which was scary too. She couldn't find me so she was hopping around in a panic "calling" for me. She would "call" for me all the time. When I was in the bathroom. When I went to bed and wouldn't hold her. When I left her out front and didn't want me to go. I loved hearing that noise, it meant "I love you mommy".

Grooming! Shell would take 10 - 15 minutes every morning to groom herself. She would then proceed to groom me. It didn't matter if I was sitting down or not she would follow me around licking my legs clean.