A kindly gold prospector has saved a kangaroo and her joey after she fell down an abandoned mine.
The prospector spotted the kangaroo when he heard a sound coming from the 11metre deep mine shaft outside Vaughn, Victoria, 120km north-west of Melbourne on Sunday.
When he looked down the hole, he spotted the kangaroo at the bottom of the 11 metres deep abandoned mine and called Five Freedoms Animal Rescue to save her.
When Manfred Zabinskas, from Five Freedoms Animal Rescue, arrived at scene, he knew he’s have to abseil to the bottom to rescue the kangaroo – with no idea about the extent of her injuries.
The gold prospector heard a sound coming from a mineshaft and realised a kangaroo had fallen in
It was an 11-metre drop and the animal rescue worker wasn’t sure if the kangaroo was injured
‘We could see the kangaroo laying down in a cramped position with little room to move,’ Mr Zabinskas said.
‘There was nothing to break the fall, and the kangaroo would almost certainly have suffered serious injury such as spinal damage, a fractured pelvis or broken legs.’
He tranquilised the kangaroo so she wouldn’t become distressed in the cramped space, before descending to the bottom, discovering the floor wasn’t solid but just made from a few stick that could collapse at any time.
There was nothing to break the fall, and the kangaroo would almost certainly have suffered serious injury such as spinal damage, a fractured pelvis or broken legs.
‘I had to be extra careful as a collapse of the floor would spell death for the kangaroo. At least I was safely suspended on my rope,’ he said.
Lifting the animal up by its arms, the wildlife expert slid it down the front of his body and into the rescue bag at his feet.
After hauling himself back up the mine shaft, the kangaroo was pulled up by a rope attached to the bag.
When she was safely above ground, the team realised she had a tiny joey in her pouch who had survived the fall.
He realised he’d have to tranquilise the animal to stop it from panicking before it was rescued
Manfred Zabinskas and the team from Five Freedoms Animal Rescue abseiled own the hole
The kangaroo was crumpled at the bottom of the mineshaft. Lifting the animal up by its arms, the wildlife expert slid it down the front of his body and into the rescue bag at his feet
When it was safely above ground, the team realised the kangaroo had a tiny joey in its pouch that was still alive (left)
‘I performed a quick examination for injuries but couldn’t find anything obviously wrong. But there may have been spinal damage or fractures which are difficult to detect. With my fingers crossed, I took her home.’
After some water and fresh grass, the kangaroo was bounding around the lounge room.
‘Our questions regarding potential injuries were answered,’ he wrote.
‘We quickly carried her down to our kangaroo enclosure where she would have more space to hop and less chance to destroy our furnishings. In the enclosure, she hopped lap after lap, and it was obvious that she was in excellent condition.’
After some water and fresh grass, the kangaroo was bounding around the loungeroom
The creature was released and Mr Zabinskas described the recovery as a ‘miracle’
The was released and Mr Zabinskas described the recovery as a ‘miracle’ and she was dubbed ‘the luckiest kangaroo in Australia.’
Social media users couldn’t believe both animals survived the fall.
‘Wow hard to believe these events what a wonderful outcome. Thanks to the men who saved her,’ one person wrote.
‘You’re incredible to put your own self at risk of injury or worse to save this precious Kangaroo and her baby. That’s two lives you saved. That is wonderful,’ another said.
‘Great job. A shame these shafts cannot be filled in, there must be a lot of unfortunate animals that meet their end falling down them,’ someone else commented.