New Flatmate

I have a new flatmate. I may have lost Underwear Boy as a source of entertainment, but now I have Joey. Whoops – make that joey. And actually, his name is Emmitt. Yes – I am now living with an eastern grey kangaroo joey!!

So some fools were out shooting kangaroos, and managed to shoot a female who had a joey in her pouch. So they decided to try to raise the joey, but when it was clear he wasn’t doing too well, they dropped it off at the zoo (the vets also function as a wildlife rehab centre). So now Kristie (who I rent a room from) is hand-rearing the joey, which thereby makes him my new housemate! Right now, he’s about the size of a cantelope (or rock melon, as they’re called here) when he’s all curled up. He’s about ½ hindlegs and ½ everything else. He lives in a box of blankets, as he’d still be spending most of his time in his mum’s pouch at this stage.

But in the last couple days, he’s started sticking his head up more and looking around – very cute. And when Kristie transfers him to a clean pouch, if she doesn’t have the next pouch ready fast enough then little Emmitt will try to flip himself into her sweater (they kind of do this somersault into mom’s pouch).


Ben is insanely jealous, but at least he should still feel loved, because I’m choosing him and Ani over a joey and a nice heater (at least for the next 2 weeks).