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Irwin The Paralysed Kangaroo


SkySoaringMagpie
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That has just made me feel physically ill. :heart: That poor creature.

I am also horrified that she treats him like a person................perhaps a public outcry from Australia is needed......he is our national symble and he is dressed in human clothes....

Terribly sad.

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As someone who has roos as pets and a highly special needs one at that, I am thoroughly horrified by this story. Roos are prey animals, they are not dolls to dress up and drive around. My girls are very people orientated but they are wild animals. Poppy is a red doe and once kangaroos lose their natural fear of humans that is when they can becomme a danger. Poppy will grab me on the back while I am walking in a bear hug people think this is cute, I know better and this behaviour is discouraged by me to prevent the behaviour from escalating. Place a small child in that situation and it could end in major injuries. Poor Irwin does not have the physical capacity to react in either fight or flight mode. Anyone that has worked closely with roos understand how easily they stress and knowingly putting an animal in this situation sickens me. I get very concerned when I see people in roo enclosures picking up their arms exposing their chests, this can be seen by the roo as a defensive move and can kick to protect themselves.

Sometimes we humans are incredibly selfish when it comes to making decisions about animals when emotions are involved

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

I just wanted to add and this may seem hypocritical but two of my girls were no hope cases, I went against medical advice and they recovered however I was prepared to make the decision to euthanase if they did not show signs of improvement.

Poppy broke a bone in her vertebrae and was given no chance of survival - it took 12 weeks of intensive rehab and she is now perfect

Daisy suffered a brain haemorrhage after her mother fell on her after being shot. The haemorrhage occured 4 weeks after she came into my care as a furless baby but she had a mouth droop from day one. She suffered major seizures and lost mobilty, sight and hearing (she was barely furred) she began regaining these senses after 4 weeks and 2 years later she has to have special care as her digestive sysytem suffered badly.

My point is I fully understand the desire to rehabilitate a wild animal but at no time were my girls paraded around like an ornament to garner attention or support and I would have put them down for their own benefit if I could not offer them a decent life.

Again :thumbsup::thumbsup:

All I can think of is the fear that this poor Roo must be feeling inside and his body is unable to react the way he is naturally geared to react.

I am all for rehabilitation but geez not feeding junk food and dressing him up, that is disgusting.

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The problem is we are just seen as a bunch of red necks who murder our roo's - exactly some previous words.

We would be best to leave them all there to die slowly from starvation aparently.

They have no idea, if he does regain use of his legs he could potentially be very dangerous. I also agree that she would have no idea what he was thinking if he cannot get away from her or the other people who's face she is shoving him in.

I have hand fed roo's and all give the ability and being healthy enough will return to the wild and go back to living happily. Some males can become a problem though as they are not scared by humans and can become aggressive which is why many are castrated. A Roo would not live like this by choice.

The roo should have been euthanased when he was originally injured and the park should have the book thrown at them for releaseing him full stop as they failed in their duty of care, but to release him to a moron who parades him around like a freak show is even more reprehensible.

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I'm sick of seeing exotic pets. :( He should never have been born over there, ffs why are they farming kangaroos in the US anyway???

He won't live to maturity, his poor body will be wasted, he'll be constantly stressed and as a bonus: toted around like a circus exhibit.

And I keep seeing this little factoid..... like it makes any difference to the situation. Plus it's news to me that they've managed to domesticate roos. Tamed maybe, domesticated - no.

"I would like to stress the fact that Irwin is a domestic kangaroo born on a domestic kangaroo farm where they were once sold as pets. He is not a wild kangaroo. There is a big difference."

:mad :mad :mad
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The roo should have been euthanased when he was originally injured and the park should have the book thrown at them for releaseing him full stop as they failed in their duty of care, but to release him to a moron who parades him around like a freak show is even more reprehensible.

Exactly.

What kind of wildlife park releases animals to the public like that anyway? Male roos can be dangerous enough as wild animals, never mind allowing them to get used to people and losing the natural fear that serves to protect both us and them.

Destroying the animal might seem harsh to some but the reality is (especially in this case), it would be kinder to the animal than a prolonged existence in a totally inappropriate environment.

Edit, typo

Edited by Hardy's Angel
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  • 7 months later...

...and she's still at it:

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/the-saga-of-irwin-the-paralysed-kangaroo-in-america-20120112-1pws1.html

A US woman who keeps a partially paralysed kangaroo as a therapy pet says she is moving to another city over a spat with local officials, even though they insist they haven't told her to go or threatened to seize the animal.

Christie Carr, who says she has been diagnosed with depression, plans to take Irwin the kangaroo from Broken Arrow to McAlester to stay with her parents because of the fuss.

Ms Carr said she hastily packed what she could in her car on Wednesday afternoon because she could "no longer trust" city officials.

Advertisement: Story continues below "I don't know if I'll ever go back to Broken Arrow," Ms Carr said as she made the two-hour drive to McAlester. "I don't know if I can even drive through there and feel safe."

But Broken Arrow spokeswoman Stephanie Higgins said no threats were made to seize the animal and that Ms Carr failed to hand in the proper paperwork that would have allowed her to keep Irwin.

Last year, Broken Arrow's city council voted to create an exotic animal ordinance exemption that allowed Ms Carr to keep Irwin within city limits under certain conditions.

Ms Carr, who was unable to work because of her health, first found comfort in the companionship of Irwin after meeting him while volunteering at a local animal sanctuary on the advice of her therapist.

Irwin fractured his neck and suffered brain damage when he ran into a fence, and Ms Carr offered to take him home and nurse him back to health. Irwin cannot stand or walk on his own, although he can hop with assistance.

Caring for Irwin is almost a full-time job for Ms Carr: she changes his nappy several times a day, feeds him salad, raw vegetables and popcorn and dresses him up each time he leaves the house.

The clothes - a little boy's shirt cut and sewed to accommodate his neck, sometimes a tie, and jeans or slacks with a hole cut for the tail - are necessary for therapeutic reasons and to protect him against germs, she said.

It was unlikely that Irwin would grow to more than 50 kilograms because of his injuries.

Ms Carr said she had contacted animal control workers in McAlester and she said employees told her that the city had no ordinance banning kangaroos and that she and her pet were welcome in the city.

"I have to protect him," Ms Carr said. "I have to get him out of there because they are not taking him. I haven't taken this paralysed kangaroo and taught him to hop again for Broken Arrow to come in and remove him."

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...and she's still at it:

*facepalm*

She sounds just.. bat-sh*t crazy.

What theraputic reasons is there to put trousers on a kangaroo? What condition that a kangaroo might suffer require trousers? Pantlessitis? And the rest.. well, she just sounds paranoid and delusional.

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...and she's still at it:

*facepalm*

She sounds just.. bat-sh*t crazy.

What theraputic reasons is there to put trousers on a kangaroo? What condition that a kangaroo might suffer require trousers? Pantlessitis? And the rest.. well, she just sounds paranoid and delusional.

Perhaps Irwin chafes easily?

Sorry, couldn't help myself. This is wrong on so many levels - I can't even believe the council created an ordinance so she could keep him! And how is she going to manage him when he hits that 50kg mark? The human race scares and astounds me daily...

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Trousers and tie are proven germ-protection equipment...

Ah.. perhaps this is why doctors have to wear trousers when they treat people? :noidea:

I dunno... I believe there was a study done somewhere that said the best way to transfer germs between hospital patients was on a doctor's tie or staff member's nametag lanyard. I for one, am very glad that doctors wear pants when treating patients though!

Poor roo. He must be incredibly stressed.

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As someone who has roos as pets and a highly special needs one at that, I am thoroughly horrified by this story. Roos are prey animals, they are not dolls to dress up and drive around. My girls are very people orientated but they are wild animals. Poppy is a red doe and once kangaroos lose their natural fear of humans that is when they can becomme a danger. Poppy will grab me on the back while I am walking in a bear hug people think this is cute, I know better and this behaviour is discouraged by me to prevent the behaviour from escalating. Place a small child in that situation and it could end in major injuries. Poor Irwin does not have the physical capacity to react in either fight or flight mode. Anyone that has worked closely with roos understand how easily they stress and knowingly putting an animal in this situation sickens me. I get very concerned when I see people in roo enclosures picking up their arms exposing their chests, this can be seen by the roo as a defensive move and can kick to protect themselves.

Sometimes we humans are incredibly selfish when it comes to making decisions about animals when emotions are involved

so right, my uncle had a pet male raised when his mum was hit by a car, living in the outback, eg station out of Inverell, there was no way he could be stopped from returning to the homestead but he was very docile so he was allowed to stay, and came and went over the years with no problems. except one day a drunken shearer decided to box him and hit him so hard blood came from his nose and one ear.

he shook his head, leaped forward, grabbed the shearer round the torso and in one stoke disembowled him. the idiot died and the roo had to be shot for everyones safety. incredibly sad for all concerned.

just watch a video of a roo fight and realise never let a roo grab you or grab at you. they are very good at defence, deadly defence.

never take a roo for granted.

Edited by asal
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Wow, it would be lovely if people cared about kangaroos here in Australia as much as they care about one in the US. Instead, we slaughter them by the millions annually, decapitate and bludgeon their joeys in the process in order to be able feed our pets treats and export their meat and skin. Very skewed perceptions indeed. That roo may be exploited, but he is safe from rednecks and 'harvesters' who will chase him down and kill him here in his native land.

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Yes KatrinaM I most certainly have. I've been involved with both sides of the debate, met with government appointed researchers, been present at culls, commercial and non commercial shoots. I've been out on shoots and there to pick up the pieces quite literally from so called professional shooters and just your average yahoo out for a fun Saturday night. I've also been there to quite literally pick up the pieces from so called professional shooters, and have spent many a day being called out to euthanaise roos with jaws half shot and hanging off, starving at heel joeys who have lost their mothers and trophy roos with their ears cut off. I live on a rural property and have seen more decimation of wildlife than you could imagine.

If you would like to question my familiarity with Macropods I could go on all day. Bottom line is the kangaroo industry is one that that every person in Australia should bear witness to, and I'd bet that the majority would be appalled.

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I also have been involved in the industry ..supplying both pet and human consumption , and will only say that if roos are being wounded, and joeys starved, then the shooters should have their licences revoked if professional, and just be horsewhipped if hoons.

This poor roo can not even scratch himself or make himself comfortable easily ... he can not feel the joy of his muscles working as he leaps .. and he can not even toilet properly.

That's being kept 'safe' ? Fine .

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I disagree with the treatment of this disabled kangaroo. It seems to me like exploitation. That said, I would like to point out that some of the language being used in this thread to describe a person with a mental illness is insensitive and unnecessary.

It is worthwhile remembering that our audience is always larger than it seems. Other DOL members have mental illnesses or loved ones that do, and may find what you say to be hurtful.

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