Students Save Orphaned Potoroo with Handmade Pouches

Every two hours through the night, Ranger Dee woke up to feed a furless baby potoroo clinging to life after his mother died from a bacterial infection.

In January, Ozzy weighed less than 100 grams and had just grown his first patch of fur when staff and students at Tatachilla Lutheran College in McLaren Vale, South Australia, took on the challenge of raising him. Students crocheted tiny pouches to mimic a kangaroo's pouch, keeping the smallest member of the kangaroo family warm and secure while volunteers maintained his round-the-clock feeding schedule.

Seven months later, Ozzy has grown into a robust one kilogram juvenile living independently in the school's eco-sanctuary. He still comes when called in the early morning, though he takes his time waking up after spending nights foraging for roots, fungi, and insects like a proper potoroo should.

Tom Hurley, coordinator of the college's EcoSanctuary, credits Ranger Dee's dedication for Ozzy's survival. "He's grown into a very robust young male," Hurley said, noting that Ozzy now lives among 20 other long-nosed potoroos in the 4.3 hectare sanctuary.

The teenage potoroo has recently started building a nest under a bus, a sign he's interested in finding a mate among the nine female potoroos sharing his home. The sanctuary, fenced to keep out cats and foxes, also shelters brush-tailed bettongs, tammar wallabies, and native birds on land that was once used for grape growing and sheep farming.

Sunny's Take

Year 11 student Marlee, who crocheted one of Ozzy's early pouches, watched him grow from a helpless baby to an independent animal. "To see him now, out with the rest of the animals, is so sweet," she said.

Ranger Dee knows the day will come when Ozzy stops responding to her calls as he fully embraces his wild life. She's ready for it.

Long-nosed potoroos are believed extinct in the wild in South Australia due to land clearing and predators, making sanctuaries like this critical for keeping the species alive. Rob Brewster from the Invasive Species Council said the school's small population helps keep potoroos "on the radar" and shows how they could return to South Australia one day.

For now, Ozzy's main concern is scoring peanut treats from staff who have to resist his adorable begging.