A Rehabilitated Wallaby Released In The Wild Comes Back To Show Off Her New Baby

Dec 28, 2015

Australia is often remarked upon for its animals. Separated for untold years from the rest of the world, the massive and mostly untamed land is home to a wide variety of wildlife that evolved many unique features as compared to places with which most of us are familiar. A common half-joke is in regards to the large number of surprisingly deadly animals that exist there. However there’s another side to this exotic fauna. The side that produces adorable, fuzzy creatures that often look as if some mad scientist went rifling through the animal kingdom, taking any feature he thought was cute, and then added a few more that nature hadn’t already managed to invent yet.

And thus the wallaby was born (well, that’s how we like to imagine it, anyway). The smaller cousin of the well-known kangaroo, wallabies are everywhere in Australia, but due to their ubiquity can often run afoul of human development. Busy roads, hunters, even simple human encroachment can affect these grass-eating creatures, and orphans are found every day.

But this happy story is about one particular orphaned wallaby, by the name of Mirabooka. Adopted by Redditor Retaboop, Mirabooka was released into the wild when she was healthy enough.

Retaboop acts as a sort of foster mom to wallabies, much the way people do for dogs and cats.

The release is what is termed a “soft release,” the wallabies aren’t dropped off somewhere they can’t find their way back, and can come “home” to their foster parents if they need help.

Apparently the males come back less frequently than the females.


Mirabooka is particularly interesting. Not only has she come back several times, she also knocks on the door when she does so.

One day Retaboop heard a knock, and was surprised to not only find Mirabooka standing there, but her new “boyfriend” as well.

That’s right, Mirabooka was bringing her beau home to “meet the parents.”

Apparently they approved, because not long after, Mirabooka again returned to Retaboop, this time ready to give birth to a brand new baby wallaby.

Clearly recognizing the love and care she herself had received would be a benefit, Mirabooka must have wanted a little help from “grandma.”

The little joey was named Rookie by Retaboop and soon took off with Mirabooka once more. That wasn’t the last trip home for these two though ...


Mirabooka brought Rookie back while he was learning how to hop. As you might expect, the wallaby equivalent of a toddler can get into just as much trouble.

But it seemed like Rookie and Mirabooka appreciated the safe environment while he was learning the ropes.

It was one big, happy, extended, cross-species family.

We’re fairly certain Retaboop hasn’t seen the last of these adorable characters.

Via: Reddit

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