14 DAY TRIAL // Matt Dea, an education coordinator at Australia's Taronga Zoo, is the proud surrogate father of an adorable swamp wallaby joey whose mother was hit by a car in mid-September and that has nobody else to look after it.
The joey, named Alkira, arrived at the zoo's wildlife hospital on September 15. Despite the fact that the baby wallaby was inside its mother's pouch at the time when the latter got hit by the car, it somehow managed to survive the experience.
“She was a bit stunned, but otherwise healthy with no injuries from the car accident,” Matt Dea told the press in an interview, as cited by Zoo Borns. “We were really lucky,” the Taronga Zoo education coordinator went on to add.
As part of its duties as this joey's surrogate dad, Matt Dea must carry it around with him everywhere he goes. Alkira is kept safe in a makeshift pouch, and Matt feeds it five times a day.
For the time being, the 6-month-old female wallaby chiefly eats a special mix formula. However, it does not shy away from snacking on grass every once in a while, and Matt expects it will not be long until it can introduce it to carrots and other tasty treats.
