24 Jan From Little Things Big Things Grow ……
A small, stripey egg on legs appeared in an esky-bag at my workplace, brought in by a kind local woman who had taken her from some children – small and weak, yet still able to produce the signature high-pitched trill only a little emu can!
Later in the week another two tiny stripey chicks were rescued and brought to the sanctuary – from a different family – from hundreds of kilometres away on the other side of this vast Central Kimberley Valley. So within a week a small circus of emus had joined us…
They soon settled with each other and flourished on a wide and varied diet. When big enough they were able to move to a large yard alongside the larger emus however much time was taken with introductions. Their wild manoeuvres with long, fast legs and unending curiosity as they raced around the yards badly wanting to join them didn’t really impress those bigger fellas whose cranky, stomping feet told the little ones they were really not that big!
As juveniles they have lost their stripes and are growing their grassy coat of feathers with shades of browny black. Finally the older emus have accepted them and they can grow together till ready for release. Orphaned at such a young age they would not have survived without being rescued and coming into specialist care.
The emus are one of many species of birds and animals here at Wild Life West. All have various diets and specialist care and housing needs. In what has been a strange and difficult year due to COVID-19 restricting fundraising opportunities and access to volunteers the FNPW and DBCA grant has been a lifesaver to reduce our financial (and associated!) strain and allow us to continue in our work to rescue, rehabilitate and release native wildlife from across our vast region.
Thank you!