In the quiet hours of late Sunday afternoon, cradling Kiera’s lifeless body, I find myself grappling with tears and the raw emotions that come with caring for injured and orphaned joeys. Kiera, a mere 466 grams of vulnerability, had nestled into my heart and life—a sister for Katie and Kenny. But her journey was destined to be brief, leaving me questioning every decision I made.
The First Days
The initial 24 hours with Kiera were a dream. She latched onto her bottle with ease, and her tiny body responded well. Yet, as the days unfolded, cracks appeared. She began refusing her bottle, and her once-translucent skin took on a pale, ominous hue. I fought to keep her warm, wrapping her in an electric throw rug, but her fragility persisted.
Desperate Measures
Day 3—the critical turning point—arrived. Kiera stopped peeing, her body weakening. Was it kidney failure? Perhaps refeeding syndrome? I suspected her mother struggled to provide adequate nutrition, leaving Kiera underweight. Unlike humans with their teams of doctors and tests, I navigated this alone, fueled by love and warmth.
Cruel Realities
Beyond our makeshift nurseries, the world has shifted. Progress encroached upon wildlife habitats—fences around dams, bushland razed for crops, and hard-hooved non-native animals trampling native spaces, doing far more damage to our fragile environment than our wildlife. Rogue dogs roamed freely, their owners unaware or uncaring of the havoc they wreaked, farm dogs that chase our wildlife, till they seek refuge in the dam and drown the dog in order to protect themselves. Our wildlife, weakened and desperate, moved on, only to be labeled pests and culled.
Hit and Run
My last three pinkies arrived as victims of hit-and-run accidents. Two mothers clung to life, broken and in agony. How did we become a nation that leaves suffering animals by the roadside? A simple call could save them, just a few minutes out of your day, yet compassion seems scarce.
A Carer’s Burden
And so, I sit with Kiera, whispering apologies. Apologies for my limitations, for her mother’s struggles, for the heartless driver who left her mother to suffer. This toll weighs heavy on all wildlife carers. Yet, we persist because there’s always another life deserving of our care.
Farewell, Kiera
Kiera, your brief existence mattered. Mummy loved you, and in your memory, we fight on—for the next Kiera, the next chance at life.
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| The day she arrived, so frail. |
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| With Katie and Kenny |
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| She fought so hard to stay |
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| Snuggled with Mumma |
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