A kangaroo stranded in a water-filled culvert in Munruben was rescued in a joint effort by wildlife carers and firefighters on Sunday evening, 9 March.
The rescue took place near the corner of Fern Road and Geraldton Road after a local resident’s son spotted the distressed animal around 4.30pm.
Wildlife carer and teacher at Yarrabilba State Secondary College Chris Gauthier from Wildcare Australia received the call for help and quickly assessed the situation.
“The drain was flowing pretty strong, and the culvert was at an angle with wet concrete. It just wasn’t safe to go in alone,” Mr Gauthier said.
“That’s when I called one of our coordinators, Liz Miller, and told her we needed the firies.”
Firefighters from the Yarrabilba station responded to the scene and played a crucial role in the rescue.
“We got a call last night for a report of a kangaroo trapped in a culvert,” said Andy Rose, Station Officer at Yarrabilba Fire Station.
“We discussed different options of what we could do. We tried initially using a long, what we call a link stick, but he didn’t respond to that. So, in the end, we actually utilised a hose and we squirted the kangaroo, and that enabled Chris to actually get the kangaroo with a tranquilliser dart.”
Mr Rose explained that once the kangaroo was sedated, they acted quickly to get it out of the water and onto dry land.
“As he got hit by the tranquilliser dart, we got him out of the water straight away and up onto dry land,” he said.
That was it really, there wasn’t much to it and we were there probably about an hour, I would say.”
Mr Rose said the kangaroo had been stuck in the drain for hours before help arrived.
“The kangaroo had been there since about 4:30 that afternoon,” Mr Rose
“We were actually on another job when we got the call, and then once we finished that job, we came straight over to the kangaroo.”
Mr Rose noted that rescues involving wildlife are not uncommon, but this was the first time they had encountered a kangaroo caught in such conditions.
“Obviously, the usual thing is usually ducks or something like that,” he said.
“Kangaroo rescues are certainly interesting. It was good to have the wildcare people there to give us some advice on what we could do and what we couldn’t do for the safety of the kangaroo.”
The kangaroo was suffering from extreme cold and stress, making immediate medical attention essential.
Due to recent flooding, the closest available vet was Dr Richard Knevitt at Logan Village Veterinary Clinic, who volunteered his time and resources to treat the animal.
“He met me there at around 8 pm and worked on the kangaroo for an hour,” Mr Gauthier said.
“He gave it pain meds, anti-inflammatories, vitamin B shots, and got it warmed up under blankets and IV fluids.”
Kangaroos are highly susceptible to capture myopathy, a stress-related condition that causes muscle and organ deterioration.
To prevent this, the animal was sedated and transferred to macropod carer Mel Dunn in Greenbank, who is currently monitoring its condition.
“The most important thing is that it made it through the night,” Mr Gauthier said.
“It’s still a guarded prognosis, but we’re hopeful.”
Mr Gauthier emphasised the need for a functioning wildlife hospital in Logan to reduce the strain on volunteers and improve response times for injured animals.
“Right now, we’re relying on local vets who go above and beyond, but it’s not sustainable,” he said.
“Jon Raven has announced that a wildlife hospital has been built, and that’s amazing, but we need funding, corporate sponsors, and tradespeople to fit it out. Volunteers alone can’t run it.”
The past few days have been particularly busy for Mr Gauthier, with the recent cyclone pushing ocean birds inland and multiple wallaby joeys also needing care.
Mr Gauthier said he had made three trips to the RSPCA in just three days.
“The time and expense involved in transporting these animals elsewhere could be saved if we had a fully operational hospital right here in Logan,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Gauthier praised the firefighters for their crucial role in the rescue.
“If they weren’t there, this wouldn’t have been a success,” he said.
“One of their team actually got in the drain and into the water to get the kangaroo out. It was a real team effort.”
Mr Rose agreed, saying that despite the challenging conditions, everything went smoothly.
“At the end of the day, it all came out very well,” he said.
“The kangaroo was rescued and left in the hands of Wildcare. It worked out perfect, really.”
Mr Rose also stressed the importance of safety when encountering stranded wildlife, particularly in flooded conditions.
“When it comes to floodwaters, it’s already risky and not safe,” he said.
“It’s always best to call wildlife care and emergency services if necessary.”
