0:00:13 > 0:00:16Deep in the heart of central Australia
0:00:16 > 0:00:17lives a family like no other.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24Meet Brolga, the world's most renowned kangaroo mum,
0:00:24 > 0:00:27a 6'7 Aussie, who dedicates his life
0:00:27 > 0:00:30to giving orphaned kangaroos a second chance at life.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36It's a one-to-one relationship, you and the baby.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39And they look up to you like you're their mum.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44The orphaned joeys live with Brolga and his wife Tahnee
0:00:44 > 0:00:47until the day they are ready to be released into the wilds
0:00:47 > 0:00:49of Brolga's 80-acre sanctuary.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54But Brolga's unconventional family life
0:00:54 > 0:00:56is about to get even more complicated.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01In this series, we follow Brolga as he takes on
0:01:01 > 0:01:04a completely different bunch of animal characters.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08Cameron is something new to me.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10I've never looked after an orphaned camel before.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14Absolutely remarkable. I just love him.
0:01:14 > 0:01:15Your new home!
0:01:15 > 0:01:17- Aren't they just magic?- Gorgeous.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22And we join Brolga on his mission to create Alice Springs'
0:01:22 > 0:01:27first wildlife hospital, dedicated to caring for orphaned animals.
0:01:29 > 0:01:30We're the centre of the Outback.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33There's no wildlife hospital here.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36The challenges ahead are huge.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39Each one of these concrete blocks probably weighs a tonne.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42And no day is ever straightforward.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47You come back and you find the place is like a disaster zone.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52But Brolga is determined to fulfil his dream
0:01:52 > 0:01:56of creating the only animal hospital for 1,500 kilometres
0:01:56 > 0:02:01to care for Australian wildlife in need of a helping hand.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04When you're injured, you need help.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07There's got to be someone looking out for you.
0:02:14 > 0:02:20PIANOLA MUSIC PLAYS
0:02:26 > 0:02:30It's eight o'clock in the morning, and it's feeding time
0:02:30 > 0:02:33for Brolga and Tahnee's latest batch of kangaroo joeys.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43These babies are orphans.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46Their mothers were killed in traffic accidents, and now,
0:02:46 > 0:02:50to help get over the trauma, they require round-the-clock care.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55As Brolga knows only too well,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58being a kangaroo foster mum is a big commitment.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04MUSIC FINISHES
0:03:04 > 0:03:05- Nice.- Thank you.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12This little one is Bob,
0:03:12 > 0:03:16and Bob is a little red kangaroo that I rescued out of his dead mum
0:03:16 > 0:03:18out there on the highway.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22And that's something I've been doing for a long time now,
0:03:22 > 0:03:25ever since I started the baby kangaroo rescue centre
0:03:25 > 0:03:27ten years ago.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31I reckon Bob would be around number 220, 230, something like that.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33I lost count around 200.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37I love them. They're just the most beautiful thing.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Anyone who gets into looking after baby kangaroos
0:03:40 > 0:03:43finds they've got a new love in their life.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53But it's not just kangaroos that occupy Brolga these days.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Recently, he's taken on the added challenge of raising
0:03:58 > 0:04:00three orphaned camels.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Like his kangaroo joeys,
0:04:05 > 0:04:09Brolga hopes that, one day, they'll be able to leave his back yard
0:04:09 > 0:04:11to live wild in his sanctuary.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21These are my new love. Baby camels.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Well, camels that are now growing up, mind you!
0:04:25 > 0:04:27Hey, you like my shorts?
0:04:27 > 0:04:30They are full of character, camels.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32They are unbelievable.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36I've never experienced an animal, especially such a large animal,
0:04:36 > 0:04:37that is so affectionate.
0:04:45 > 0:04:50The oldest and by far the largest camel is Cameron.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52Cameron weighs over half a tonne,
0:04:52 > 0:04:56but as an adolescent male, he's still very much a big kid at heart.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00Hey, hey.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04People wonder why I've got a hole in my hat, it's because of him.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06He keeps on... He loves my hat!
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Hey! Can I have it back?
0:05:10 > 0:05:11Cameron!
0:05:14 > 0:05:16Look at that. Look at that!
0:05:19 > 0:05:21So...
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Cut!
0:05:24 > 0:05:26LAUGHTER
0:05:27 > 0:05:31Brolga's love affair with camels started 18 months ago
0:05:31 > 0:05:33when he rescued Cameron.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39Camels were introduced to Australia during the 1800s,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41used as pack animals by the first explorers
0:05:41 > 0:05:43of the vast Australian Outback.
0:05:43 > 0:05:49Today, over half a million feral camels roam free,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52with many people now viewing them as pests.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57In fact, Cameron's parents were shot by cattle ranchers,
0:05:57 > 0:06:01but, fortunately, Cameron was spared the bullet.
0:06:03 > 0:06:04Come on!
0:06:05 > 0:06:09I got a phone call saying they've just destroyed
0:06:09 > 0:06:11a family of camels out in the Outback,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14and a little orphan was left behind,
0:06:14 > 0:06:16and do you want to come and pick him up?
0:06:16 > 0:06:19I thought, I wasn't sure if I needed or wanted a camel,
0:06:19 > 0:06:22and they said, "All right, otherwise we'll shoot him.". I said, "No."
0:06:22 > 0:06:24CAMEL GRUNTS
0:06:24 > 0:06:29I just saw the picture of this little baby looking up at me
0:06:29 > 0:06:33in my mind, saying, "If you don't help me, no-one's going to."
0:06:33 > 0:06:37So, I went for a bit of a trip, didn't I? Hey?
0:06:37 > 0:06:411,100 kilometre round trip down into the desert of South Australia,
0:06:41 > 0:06:46to pick up this beautiful little orphan camel I've called Cameron.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Back when Cameron was just a month old,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Brolga was living in a tin shack at the sanctuary.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57Cameron never left his side,
0:06:57 > 0:07:02and Brolga soon discovered camels have a real thirst for milk,
0:07:02 > 0:07:04drinking as much as 12 litres a day!
0:07:09 > 0:07:13I'm just turning into a bit of a milk production factory.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18I've never made bottles of milk up like this before!
0:07:23 > 0:07:25Fantastic.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33And, when it came to bedtime, Cameron would cry all night long.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35The only cure to comfort Cameron
0:07:35 > 0:07:38was for Brolga to allow him to share his bed.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Animals are all very close to their mothers,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49and when they've lost their mother,
0:07:49 > 0:07:51the world must be such a lonely place.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55To me, it was in my nature to sleep next to him.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59And that really helped get Cameron
0:07:59 > 0:08:02through the loneliness of losing his mum.
0:08:17 > 0:08:1918 months on from taking Cameron under his wing,
0:08:19 > 0:08:23Brolga has two more camels, called Jasmine and Theo.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Like Cameron, they became orphans soon after birth,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30and Brolga felt compelled to rescue them.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40I got a call way out in the bush, way out in remote desert country.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43A small camp of people out in the bush,
0:08:43 > 0:08:47they'd taken a baby camel off its mother as a pet for a child
0:08:47 > 0:08:49and the child didn't know what to do,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52and then they found out dogs were attacking it.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Awful situation,
0:08:55 > 0:08:58so, not wasting any time, I jumped in the Land Cruiser
0:08:58 > 0:09:02and raced out there, and threw little Theo in the back of the truck
0:09:02 > 0:09:04and brought him back here.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11And then we got a call from a friend of ours in Victoria
0:09:11 > 0:09:13who said, "Do you want a camel?
0:09:13 > 0:09:15"There's a camel here on someone's farm,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17"and it's not being well looked after.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19"Its jaw's displaced."
0:09:19 > 0:09:24Probably from not being well treated, so we got Jasmine sent up.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28So all three camels have come from being orphaned,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30or, in Jasmine's case, mistreated.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35And that's why we're here - give animals a life that need a home.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37We want the very best for them,
0:09:37 > 0:09:41because they've had such a hard start to their life.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Theo, quick, get one before Cameron!
0:09:53 > 0:09:56The plan to introduce the camels into the sanctuary
0:09:56 > 0:10:00is the start of an important new chapter for Brolga.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04The Kangaroo Sanctuary, which is home to a mob of 30 roos,
0:10:04 > 0:10:06has been running for ten years,
0:10:06 > 0:10:10solely as a safe haven for these orphaned animals.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15But now, Brolga has big ambitions to expand his operation
0:10:15 > 0:10:18by building the only wildlife hospital
0:10:18 > 0:10:21within 1,500 kilometres of Alice Springs.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27It's an idea that's long been in Brolga's mind.
0:10:29 > 0:10:35It first came about ten or 11 years ago, when I saved a baby kangaroo
0:10:35 > 0:10:38out of its dead mum's pouch out there on the highway.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42I was a tour guide. I brought the little baby back to Alice Springs,
0:10:42 > 0:10:44and there was no place I could take it.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47It was night-time. The vet wasn't open.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51I rang up a local wildlife carer, and they didn't answer the phone.
0:10:51 > 0:10:52It made me think, "Come on,
0:10:52 > 0:10:54"something has got to be better than this."
0:10:54 > 0:10:57So, I want to build something where we can take them,
0:10:57 > 0:11:00and we know that they will be looked after.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04This is something I've been working my whole life towards,
0:11:04 > 0:11:06something I've known within myself I really want to do,
0:11:06 > 0:11:09and that's to build my own wildlife hospital.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16Brolga's not alone in feeling the pressing need for a hospital.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18OK, guys, come on.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24Downtown in Alice Springs, fellow wildlife carer, Cynthia Lynch,
0:11:24 > 0:11:28is inundated with orphans requiring specialist help.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31We're just overrun.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33Not just myself, but other carers, as well.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37We have something like 84 in care at the moment,
0:11:37 > 0:11:39and it goes up to 120 sometimes.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41So, the hospital, there's an absolute need
0:11:41 > 0:11:43to do the right thing by these animals
0:11:43 > 0:11:46and to be able to give them the care they really do need.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Like Mother Hubbard. Too many children!
0:11:49 > 0:11:53Or The Old Lady Who Lived In The Shoe, one or the other.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55That might be a better metaphor for me.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Too many children, she didn't know what to do.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01But we can never say no, can we? We can't say no to you.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09Most of the orphan joeys come from surviving road traffic accidents.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20Today, Brolga's responding to a call reporting a dead kangaroo
0:12:20 > 0:12:23on the road 15km south of Alice Springs.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28If it's a mother, there's a chance her joey will have survived
0:12:28 > 0:12:32the impact, cushioned in the protective environment of her pouch.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42Here we've got a wedge-tailed eagle sitting in the middle of the road.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45That means dead kangaroo.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56When Brolga stops to inspect the corpse,
0:12:56 > 0:13:01he discovers a tiny hairless "pinkie" still alive in the pouch.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Come on, little one.
0:13:08 > 0:13:09Look at this.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12A lovely little baby survived.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Now this baby is going to have to get to an incubator,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18otherwise it's not going to be able to keep warm.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23In the absence of a wildlife hospital,
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Brolga immediately takes the orphaned joey to Cynthia's.
0:13:28 > 0:13:29Cynthia!
0:13:29 > 0:13:30What have you got this time?
0:13:30 > 0:13:32I don't know. I think she's a little girl.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35- Isn't she beautiful? - Isn't she? She's tiny, too.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37- She is tiny.- Tiny little thing.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39We'll take you and give you a weigh.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43Cynthia is an expert in rehabilitating pinkies,
0:13:43 > 0:13:48which, like prematurely born human babies, need round-the-clock care.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52- OK. 702.- That's great. - That's a good weight.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54Anything over 500 is good.
0:13:54 > 0:13:59And we'll just take you out and we'll just quickly check you out.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Legs are working, arms are working.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Looks like her rear end is too actually!
0:14:04 > 0:14:06She looks great, doesn't she?
0:14:06 > 0:14:08Yeah, and the ears are half up, the eyes are open,
0:14:08 > 0:14:10so that's all really, really good.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12- Beautiful.- That's a girl, we'll pop you back in.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14- You've got room in the incubator? - I've got room.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Brolga's named this new arrival Hope.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24She will need to spend six weeks in the incubator,
0:14:24 > 0:14:26and if she survives this critical period,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29Hope will be delivered back into Brolga's care.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33Hope is a fragile baby.
0:14:33 > 0:14:39Coming into human care, it is all alien and it can be quite stressful.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43We've got to make sure we do the best for a little baby like Hope.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47I look at her with as much love as a newborn baby.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55At any given time,
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Cynthia may have as many as five pinkies on life support.
0:15:00 > 0:15:06These frail creatures need feeding every three hours, day and night.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09Come on.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12We've got Simon here.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Oh, haven't we, Simon? Yes.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20We can't leave him out for long as he'd get very cold otherwise.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22You can see every vein and vessel on him,
0:15:22 > 0:15:25and you can have a good anatomy lesson with him.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27You can see their very long legs.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31They just don't control their legs or their arms,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34and that's why it's really important to be careful with them
0:15:34 > 0:15:36because they can fracture them so easily.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38Once they fracture them,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41unfortunately, they don't have much of a chance of life
0:15:41 > 0:15:44because they need these big legs to bound around, don't they?
0:15:44 > 0:15:49It's just so good to see them start to grow, be bright and alert,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52and know that you're doing a reasonable job.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55You're not as good as Mum, but you are keeping them alive
0:15:55 > 0:15:58and they're happy and bright, and drinking and eating.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02If they've got a bright eye, they're a healthy animal.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04So it's nice to see a nice bright eye.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16Up to now, Brolga's Kangaroo Sanctuary has been funded
0:16:16 > 0:16:19by charitable donations and income from visitors.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26But, with his ambitious and expensive plans to build and run
0:16:26 > 0:16:31a wildlife hospital, he's looking at ways to raise extra funds.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39His big idea is to attract more people
0:16:39 > 0:16:43to his sanctuary by introducing new species of animals.
0:16:45 > 0:16:50My whole sanctuary is based around red kangaroos.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54Now I feel it's time that I can introduce
0:16:54 > 0:16:56some more animals to the mob.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01And have species that the paying visitors can see
0:17:01 > 0:17:03up close in their natural habitat.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16As part of the master plan for expanding the sanctuary,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Brolga and Tahnee are heading to Alice Springs Airport
0:17:19 > 0:17:22to pick up a very special package.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29Oh, wow!
0:17:30 > 0:17:31Wow!
0:17:31 > 0:17:37Arriving by air freight are three four-week-old emu chicks.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40- They look great! They look really good.- Thank you!
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Yes, thanks! Thanks so much!
0:17:45 > 0:17:48You get in the car, I'll put these in the back.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51I heard of these three little chicks that needed a home,
0:17:51 > 0:17:53and the man was trying to get rid of them,
0:17:53 > 0:17:55so I got them sent to Alice Springs.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58They've actually been born in captivity,
0:17:58 > 0:18:00and I'm really happy for them
0:18:00 > 0:18:02because they're going to be able to live out their lives
0:18:02 > 0:18:06in the great open country of my sanctuary.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09Hey, look who we've got!
0:18:09 > 0:18:11Hello!
0:18:11 > 0:18:13We might show you these later on.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Yeah, what's that, Cameron?
0:18:16 > 0:18:19- Hey, look at that.- Emus!
0:18:19 > 0:18:22It'll be several months before the emus are old enough
0:18:22 > 0:18:24to live at the sanctuary.
0:18:24 > 0:18:25Good boy, good boy.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29In fact, they're going to start their new life in the laundry room
0:18:29 > 0:18:31in Brolga's and Tahnee's house.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Your new home!
0:18:33 > 0:18:36All right, we've got to make sure they don't get outside.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38Are you going to hold it open?
0:18:38 > 0:18:39Yep, yep.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41Aren't you going to hold it open?
0:18:41 > 0:18:43No, no, that'll be good.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45We'll just, er...
0:18:48 > 0:18:50That's it.
0:18:50 > 0:18:51Shh, just keep very quiet.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Here he comes. Ah, look at that!
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Oh!
0:18:56 > 0:18:58- Aren't they magic?- Gorgeous.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00They're so tall.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03Yeah, they're a little bit bigger that I thought they might be.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Emus are Australia's largest flightless bird,
0:19:06 > 0:19:11and these chicks will eventually grow to be almost two metres tall.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13I was so worried that they were going to panic.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Run everywhere, and smash into the wall.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18- They're sticking to each other. - Yeah.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21This is the way they communicate with each other.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23HE WHISTLES
0:19:23 > 0:19:26BIRDS WHISTLE TOGETHER
0:19:26 > 0:19:29If they're all whistling, they're happy because they're all together.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32- They must feel safe or something like that.- Yes.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37They're fantastic, I'm so glad we got them.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39I knew it was the right thing to do.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43You'll keep them just in here tonight, just to settle them down?
0:19:43 > 0:19:45I think it's worthwhile.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47They're together, they've got the reassurance of each other,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50and they're not going to run round madly.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53The brush will give them something to peck at,
0:19:53 > 0:19:57also give them the feeling of security, like going under a bush.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01That's a heat lamp and Big Ted will give them something to cuddle up to.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10What are you doing!?
0:20:10 > 0:20:11You've only been here five minutes
0:20:11 > 0:20:14and you're destroying the place already.
0:20:20 > 0:20:26The next day, Brolga lets the emus out to explore their surroundings.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42Having the emus in the house is chaos!
0:20:44 > 0:20:47They are falling over, getting up, falling on the floorboards,
0:20:47 > 0:20:49chasing each other.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53It's great fun, but it is a chaotic house with the emus inside.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00Because the house is clearly unsuitable, Brolga's moving the
0:21:00 > 0:21:04emus to a small enclosure where he can keep a close eye on them.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13I should actually be there for the emus as much as possible.
0:21:13 > 0:21:19They instinctively would be looking up to a very tall father emu,
0:21:19 > 0:21:22so being with me will hopefully settle them down.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35Along with the emus in Brolga's back yard, the three orphan camels
0:21:35 > 0:21:40are also being prepared for release into the wilds of the sanctuary.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43But their freedom is a long way off as they've got
0:21:43 > 0:21:45a lot of growing up to do.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Theo is still on the bottle
0:21:49 > 0:21:53and requires two litres of milk three times a day.
0:21:55 > 0:21:56Theo's now nine months old.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00So, I've been feeding Theo this milk since he was about two days old
0:22:00 > 0:22:03or three days old, when I first got him.
0:22:05 > 0:22:10When I first got him, he was small enough for me to pick him up
0:22:10 > 0:22:13and put him in the back of the Land Cruiser.
0:22:13 > 0:22:14Now, well, definitely not.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17But he still loves his milk and he's still going to need
0:22:17 > 0:22:19his milk for a little while yet.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27Brolga's discovering the dangerously playful side of camels
0:22:27 > 0:22:31and, recently, Theo's developed the unnerving habit
0:22:31 > 0:22:33of biting Brolga's feet.
0:22:33 > 0:22:34Now, he wants to play!
0:22:38 > 0:22:41Camel play is practising to dominate or fight.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47So, basically, a young boy wanting a fight.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Hey!
0:22:50 > 0:22:52That's a bit hard!
0:22:53 > 0:22:56He'd probably be doing this with his mum and I'm his mum.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58Hey!
0:22:59 > 0:23:04And he's getting quite a handful, aren't you?
0:23:08 > 0:23:12Cameron, the eldest, is also proving to be a handful.
0:23:12 > 0:23:17He now stands over two metres tall, and as an adolescent male,
0:23:17 > 0:23:19he's become particularly mischievous.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24When I'm doing simple chores like cleaning the bathroom, he's
0:23:24 > 0:23:27got to stick his head through the window and try
0:23:27 > 0:23:30and take the cleaning cloth out of my hand.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34No, you're not having the cloth. No, Cameron! No!
0:23:34 > 0:23:37No! Oh!
0:23:41 > 0:23:42Cameron, no!
0:23:42 > 0:23:46If I'm not there, he cries out.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51If I'm not there, he's pacing up and down looking for me.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57He's funny, he's classic.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04Brolga is aware that Cameron has the potential to become
0:24:04 > 0:24:06extremely dangerous.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11He needs obedience training to ensure that it will be safe
0:24:11 > 0:24:12to relocate him to the sanctuary.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19This job is going to be left in the hands of Tahnee
0:24:19 > 0:24:23because Brolga's heading out of town to help another orphaned animal.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32And, with a long road trip ahead of him,
0:24:32 > 0:24:36plans for the wildlife hospital are temporarily on hold.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44400km south of Alice Springs,
0:24:44 > 0:24:48a southern hairy-nosed wombat called Pete,
0:24:48 > 0:24:50is rapidly outgrowing his home.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55His species is endangered,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58and Brolga's been called in by his carer,
0:24:58 > 0:25:02a nurse called Marie, to see if he can offer a helping hand.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Marie has been looking after Pete for about a year.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11When he was brought to her after a hunting trip,
0:25:11 > 0:25:13where the mother was hunted,
0:25:13 > 0:25:17and there was a little orphan hiding away in Mum's pouch.
0:25:17 > 0:25:22Marie called me up and said, "Brolga, we've got to do something
0:25:22 > 0:25:26"for Pete", and the southern hairy-nosed wombat
0:25:26 > 0:25:28is a beautiful little animal.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30I've never really had anything to do with them,
0:25:30 > 0:25:35so I'm really looking forward to catching up with Marie and Pete.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44Like kangaroos, wombats are marsupials.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48They are native to southern Australia, and as nocturnal animals,
0:25:48 > 0:25:52they spend the day asleep in their burrow, deep beneath the ground.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58But in Marie's house, Pete has occupied the bedroom.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Now, more than ever he needs his rest,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07as recently he had an accident and broke his leg.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11He is in need of expert care.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14KNOCK ON DOOR
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Well, here he is Brolga.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21That is unreal.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25Yup. He's just having his little afternoon relax.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27- Typical Aussie!- Yes.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31Apparently, this is classic happy wombat sleeping position.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34- Is that right?- Just on their back with their hands up.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38Poor little fellow had an accident a week ago
0:26:38 > 0:26:42and broke his tibia and fibula.
0:26:42 > 0:26:47I don't know how it happened, but I just found him in the morning.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50He was upset and his little leg was swollen.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52So, maybe he climbed up on something and fell down.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56He might have, he jumps off the lounger now and then, so...
0:26:56 > 0:26:58- He's quite heavy, too.- Is he?
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Yep. He's 12 kilos at the moment.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07- Ah. Here he is.- He's beautiful!
0:27:07 > 0:27:10- So, you're Mum?- Absolutely.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12Definitely. He loves you, too, look.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Hey!
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Ah, little boy. Isn't he beautiful?
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Oh! He doesn't love me!
0:27:22 > 0:27:24Come on, Pete.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31- Can you hold him for a moment? - I'll take him.- Thank you.
0:27:31 > 0:27:32Come on, big boy.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37It's not like a kangaroo. Gee, it's a funny animal.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39Just, er...
0:27:39 > 0:27:43I'm blown away by how unreal and weird they are.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46He's got a face like a big pig,
0:27:46 > 0:27:50a body like a little bulldozer,
0:27:50 > 0:27:52and uh...
0:27:52 > 0:27:54Absolutely remarkable.
0:27:54 > 0:27:55I just love him, love him heaps.
0:27:57 > 0:27:58Hey, Pete.
0:27:59 > 0:28:00Hello!
0:28:00 > 0:28:02Yes, I know, I'm not your mum.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08He's so beautiful, isn't he? He likes his tummy being rubbed.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10He does. Like a little Buddha.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13- He is like a little Buddha, isn't he?- Yeah!
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Here you go, good boy.
0:28:16 > 0:28:17Brolga's long-term plan
0:28:17 > 0:28:20is to give Pete a permanent home at his sanctuary,
0:28:20 > 0:28:24but to do this requires building a specialist wombat enclosure,
0:28:24 > 0:28:26which will take time and money.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30So, for now, Brolga's heading further south
0:28:30 > 0:28:34to put Pete in the temporary care of a wombat specialist,
0:28:34 > 0:28:37who's going to help get his leg back to full strength.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52Brolga and Pete are heading to Coober Pedy,
0:28:52 > 0:28:54the opal-mining capital of Australia.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02He's arranged to stay the night with some old mates
0:29:02 > 0:29:05who run their own kangaroo orphanage.
0:29:05 > 0:29:06G'day!
0:29:08 > 0:29:12Who's that? Ah, g'day, Brolga!
0:29:12 > 0:29:13G'day, mate!
0:29:13 > 0:29:15About time you got here!
0:29:15 > 0:29:18It's only been like 750km!
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Not far, mate!
0:29:20 > 0:29:24Like Brolga, Terry and Jo are completely obsessed with kangaroos.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27- So long!- I know! - You've been promising!
0:29:27 > 0:29:31And, while Pete settles down for the night in a baby cot,
0:29:31 > 0:29:36Brolga's keen to meet a kangaroo that recently made headline news.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41- So, this is the famous Bella?- Yup.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43The one that was in all the press in the UK?
0:29:43 > 0:29:47Yup, this is the one and only Bella.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50Every time I'd go out into the yard or sit with her, or in the house,
0:29:50 > 0:29:52she would start licking my foot.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55I had a couple of spots on my foot, my hands, my face,
0:29:55 > 0:29:58just like a freckle or little sore that wouldn't heal up properly.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02She would make a beeline for them and lick them with such urgency,
0:30:02 > 0:30:05as if to say, "Mum, we've got to get rid of this spot.
0:30:05 > 0:30:06"We've got to get rid of it now!"
0:30:06 > 0:30:09- She was actually telling you something was wrong?- She was.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11And it was so urgent.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14After about two weeks, and this is happening every day,
0:30:14 > 0:30:17I said to Terry, "I think I better go and get them checked out",
0:30:17 > 0:30:21so I did, I went to the doctor's and he took one look
0:30:21 > 0:30:22and said, "skin cancers,
0:30:22 > 0:30:25"and you need to see a specialist straightaway."
0:30:25 > 0:30:27And I ended up having surgery.
0:30:27 > 0:30:29- And now it's all fixed? - Yep. All fine.
0:30:29 > 0:30:34So, you reckon Bella actually helped save your life?
0:30:34 > 0:30:36She was telling me. Definitely telling me.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40If it hadn't been for her, I would have ignored them.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54With Brolga away in Coober Pedy,
0:30:54 > 0:30:58Tahnee's been working on the camels' much-needed obedience training.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00Walk up, walk up.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04Cameron, the large bull, is the biggest concern
0:31:04 > 0:31:08and, with the tricky relocation to the sanctuary looming on the
0:31:08 > 0:31:13horizon, Tahnee wants to ensure she can maintain control of her animals.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15Stop. Stop.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19Back, back.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22We're going to teach Cameron a couple of moves, one is "back"
0:31:22 > 0:31:25because we don't want him to run anybody over.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28He's going back a little bit too far, but that's a good boy.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30Stop. Stop's another one.
0:31:32 > 0:31:33Hoosh.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39Cameron is just learning to "hoosh", which is a sit down.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43He's trying to trick me into thinking he's going...
0:31:43 > 0:31:46Oh, he is going down! Good boy. Good boy!
0:31:46 > 0:31:48Hup, hup, hup.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51Hup, hup!
0:31:51 > 0:31:53Good boy. Good boy.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56A lot of people ask if camels are stubborn.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59I don't think they're stubborn, I just think they're clever.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02They'll do what they want sometimes.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07One thing camels do is they smell.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10They like smelling everything.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15Especially when I've been eating something,
0:32:15 > 0:32:18Cameron will... See he's doing that?
0:32:18 > 0:32:21He puts his upper lip up because when they put their top lip up
0:32:21 > 0:32:24it allows them to smell what's going on,
0:32:24 > 0:32:27so they can figure out what that smell is.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31They've got a very good sense of smell.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33And that's just a yawn. Bit tired.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37I'll try and show you this. Cameron doesn't have top teeth.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39Camels don't have top teeth.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41Can you see from that yawn? They've just got bottom teeth.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43They've got a very hard upper pallet,
0:32:43 > 0:32:48which lets them pick very prickly and hard bushes.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51But they've got some nice strong back teeth
0:32:51 > 0:32:52to chew up their tough food.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57Cameron is still a baby. He's only two years old,
0:32:57 > 0:33:01and so he's still learning and he's still a bit naughty sometimes.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04But generally, most of the time, he's a lovely beautiful boy,
0:33:04 > 0:33:05like he is now.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10Even though he's not small, he's still my baby. Aren't you, hey?
0:33:11 > 0:33:13Yeah.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20Back in Coober Pedy, Brolga's meeting up
0:33:20 > 0:33:23with wombat expert Val Salmon.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26Val's going to look after Pete until his leg is better,
0:33:26 > 0:33:29and Brolga's ready to house him at his sanctuary.
0:33:30 > 0:33:35Val's brought along her latest batch of orphan wombats.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39It's an opportunity for Brolga to find out what lies in store.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46Think we're done there.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50The average age span for these guys in captivity is 30 years plus.
0:33:50 > 0:33:51Really? 30 years?
0:33:51 > 0:33:55When they get to maturity, Pete will become a bulldozer.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57They call them the bulldozer of the bush.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00And he will give you a run for your money.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02- They can run up to 40kph.- Really?!
0:34:02 > 0:34:04He will go straight for your shins.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07I actually had my arm fractured by a full-grown wombat.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10She was hit by a car and I went to turn her over,
0:34:10 > 0:34:12and she turned around and springed me,
0:34:12 > 0:34:15- and she fractured my arm through here.- She kicked you?
0:34:15 > 0:34:18One kick. That's the power they've got.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20One good kick and it fractured your arm! Wow!
0:34:20 > 0:34:23I'd sooner get in with a kangaroo than a wombat.
0:34:23 > 0:34:24I'm starting to think that, too!
0:34:26 > 0:34:29So, the wombat pouch is backwards.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32Whereas a kangaroo pouch is from the top down,
0:34:32 > 0:34:35a wombat's is from the back up.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38The reason it goes in reverse is because if they're digging holes,
0:34:38 > 0:34:40they don't get full of dirt.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43- So, Mum doesn't fill the pouch with sand when she's digging?- Yes.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45So, they're digging with those big front paws?
0:34:45 > 0:34:48Yes, they use their front ones for digging
0:34:48 > 0:34:50and the back ones like a shovel.
0:34:50 > 0:34:55- Ah, so one's for digging out, and the other is to push it back?- Yes.
0:34:55 > 0:34:56Wow.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58- Yeah, I see what you mean, like a little shovel.- Yes.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00That's great, isn't it?
0:35:01 > 0:35:04Val has travelled 1,000 kilometres to get here.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08Before she can take Pete home, the wombat pinkies
0:35:08 > 0:35:11need to have their skin moisturised with baby oil.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15The best way to hold them is to put your hand gently around
0:35:15 > 0:35:17and under their front legs.
0:35:17 > 0:35:18Yup. This one's a wriggler.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20Yes, they are very much wrigglers.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23Oh, he's a wriggler all right.
0:35:23 > 0:35:28- Then we get some cream, rub it on your fingers like so...- Yes.
0:35:29 > 0:35:30And just massage it in.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35Without the natural humidity of their mother's pouch,
0:35:35 > 0:35:38the pinkie's skin dries out unless it's regularly treated.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42It's going to be like holding a fish in a minute.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46- Yeah.- Bit slippery!- Yeah. They get a bit anxious.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49Put your fingers around between his arms,
0:35:49 > 0:35:53like just here, and they'll eventually just calm down.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55- Like that?- Yes, like that.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59I've got big hands and this is a wriggly little wombat.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02And this one goes in headfirst?
0:36:02 > 0:36:05- Round the other way. - Round the other way?
0:36:05 > 0:36:09- No, headfirst, but standing up. - Like that?- Yes.- OK.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14And I'll just help her. Tuck her over. Done.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17And there she goes, her head is round the right way.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19Ah, look at that.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21- There you go.- Ahhh!
0:36:21 > 0:36:23- All done.- Back to bed.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32Ready? No. No, Pete!
0:36:32 > 0:36:34Pete also needs attention.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37It's time for his daily dose of pain-relieving medicine.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39Oh!
0:36:40 > 0:36:43I promise you he won't bite, as long as you hold him still.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45Listen, I've been bitten and punched and whatever.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49He might not be keen, but with a long journey ahead of him
0:36:49 > 0:36:52it's important he's made as comfortable as possible.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54Ah, ah, ah, ah!
0:36:57 > 0:36:58You got it? There you go.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01- Yep, he got it.- Good boy, good boy. It's all right.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05For the next few months,
0:37:05 > 0:37:08Pete will live at Val's wombat rescue centre
0:37:08 > 0:37:11while Brolga completes his new enclosure back at his sanctuary
0:37:11 > 0:37:13in Alice Springs.
0:37:13 > 0:37:14Good boy.
0:37:14 > 0:37:20But already Brolga's hatching plans for his future caring for wombats.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23Good boy. See you, mate. Have a great trip.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29I feel a bit sad after dropping Pete off with Val.
0:37:29 > 0:37:34My little time with him was just an absolute experience.
0:37:34 > 0:37:35A dream for me.
0:37:35 > 0:37:40I've never had anything to do with wombats, but I must admit,
0:37:40 > 0:37:42I've fallen in love with Pete.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46I'd love to have him at my sanctuary.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50That would be a dream. Maybe I can set up
0:37:50 > 0:37:53a southern hairy-nosed wombat breeding programme.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59I can see just that little time I had with Pete
0:37:59 > 0:38:02that this could really become a big part of my life.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10You've still got lots of joeys coming in?
0:38:10 > 0:38:13Yes, and I don't think it's going to settle down.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15They seem to be getting more and more and more.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17Really? So, you're a bit flat out at the moment?
0:38:17 > 0:38:19Brolga's long road trip
0:38:19 > 0:38:22has given him lots of time to think about the wildlife hospital.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25It doesn't really matter. Life in the fast lane!
0:38:25 > 0:38:29Today, he's come to visit Cynthia, who he's joining forces with
0:38:29 > 0:38:31to get the project off the ground.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37Brolga's come up with a unique design,
0:38:37 > 0:38:39and he's eager to get Cynthia's approval.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41The idea with the hospital,
0:38:41 > 0:38:45it's going to be a place for kangaroos, but also other animals.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48Also all other Australian wildlife.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50But, rather than build just the normal square shape,
0:38:50 > 0:38:52what every other building is like,
0:38:52 > 0:38:55the kangaroo is the iconic animal of Australia.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58It is the animal that we care for the most.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02Let's build it in the shape of a kangaroo.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04Abso-blooming-lutely!
0:39:04 > 0:39:06I want people to talk about this.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08So, because we're near the airport,
0:39:08 > 0:39:12I'm hoping that when they fly into town they'll fly over the hospital,
0:39:12 > 0:39:17and think, "Gee, those people go out of their way for animals.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21- "Isn't that great? Let's do the same for animals in our country."- Yes.
0:39:21 > 0:39:27So, we're going to need a baby run, sort of like that...
0:39:27 > 0:39:32Where we've got the babies in the sun, hanging up in their pouches.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36And then also, when we get a school group in,
0:39:36 > 0:39:40- we've got a nice shaded area where we can do a talk.- Yes.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44But then, in the middle here,
0:39:44 > 0:39:47underneath the roof,
0:39:47 > 0:39:49is the actual hospital.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53Well, yes, Brolga.
0:39:53 > 0:39:58I love the idea, except for that poor-looking kangaroo!
0:39:58 > 0:40:00Yes, listen I am aware of this.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04That was actually my best kangaroo freehand.
0:40:04 > 0:40:05I'm glad I didn't see the others!
0:40:05 > 0:40:08I'd hate to see what the worst was like!
0:40:08 > 0:40:09Listen. Last night, I did,
0:40:09 > 0:40:13understanding my artistic skills are not the best in the world,
0:40:13 > 0:40:18I traced that and have developed this plan.
0:40:18 > 0:40:22Much, much better! That's a much better effort.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25So, you want to get this off the ground as much as I do.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29I sure do, yeah. Good Lord, I hope...
0:40:29 > 0:40:32Give me five more years and we'll get this up and running,
0:40:32 > 0:40:34and I will die a contented lady.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45It's been two months since Brolga rescued Hope from the highway.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48Having survived in Cynthia's incubator,
0:40:48 > 0:40:50she's now back in Brolga's care.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54This is the joy for me.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58It's extra special when you rescue a kangaroo yourself.
0:40:58 > 0:41:03Over the last month or two, she's started to get hair,
0:41:03 > 0:41:07and she's progressed as well as possible.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10But there's a problem.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13Although she's recovered from the trauma of losing her mother
0:41:13 > 0:41:17she's developed a skin condition that's concerning Brolga.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23Hope is starting to show signs of scratching a lot.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26And that could be one of two things.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29It could be little biting insects like mites,
0:41:29 > 0:41:31or it could be the onset of mange,
0:41:31 > 0:41:35and this is potentially very serious if we don't get on top of it.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41So, I've got to give her a medicated shampoo bath.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45And that's where lies a little bit of a problem
0:41:45 > 0:41:49because I've never met a kangaroo in 20 years of looking after them
0:41:49 > 0:41:50that likes having a bath.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57She's going to struggle and she's going to kick up a stink.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00But it is for her welfare.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04If we don't stop her scratching, that can lead to stress.
0:42:04 > 0:42:09The stress of constantly scratching means you're not sleeping.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11And if you're not sleeping...
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Hope can get sick.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15Do your tummy.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20Just do your pouch, do your tummy.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22Good girl, nearly done.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24Just a little bit...
0:42:24 > 0:42:25Good girl, that's it.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37Just drying her off with a towel is not really enough.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40I've really got to make sure she's 100% dry
0:42:40 > 0:42:44before she goes back into her little pillowcase pouch.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47So, blow drying her like this, again, she doesn't like it,
0:42:47 > 0:42:49it's something totally alien to her,
0:42:49 > 0:42:53but it's a way of really getting through
0:42:53 > 0:42:55to the leather underneath her hair.
0:42:55 > 0:42:59Into her pelt, basically, so all of her becomes dry.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09Last week you were 1.38 kilos.
0:43:11 > 0:43:15Today, 1.613.
0:43:15 > 0:43:16Beautiful. Well done.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21That wasn't too hard, was it? Hey?
0:43:22 > 0:43:24Good girl.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29The following morning,
0:43:29 > 0:43:32with Cynthia's blessing for the wildlife hospital design,
0:43:32 > 0:43:37Brolga is moving one step closer to realising the ambitious plan.
0:43:43 > 0:43:46With stakes and tape, he's been marking out the plot
0:43:46 > 0:43:49to get an idea of how building it in the shape of a kangaroo
0:43:49 > 0:43:51will look on the ground.
0:43:59 > 0:44:04I've been working all day out in the sun, but it's been a great day.
0:44:04 > 0:44:05It's something I've been...
0:44:05 > 0:44:08It feels like I've been waiting my whole life to do,
0:44:08 > 0:44:12and that's get the wildlife hospital on the road.
0:44:12 > 0:44:14Starting to get something happening.
0:44:15 > 0:44:19And the start of it is pegging out
0:44:19 > 0:44:20and putting out tape
0:44:20 > 0:44:27in an outline of what I think will look like a kangaroo from the air.
0:44:31 > 0:44:35Building a wildlife hospital in one of the remotest places on Earth
0:44:35 > 0:44:39is a way of standing up and saying I care about my animals,
0:44:39 > 0:44:44and I want a place that I leave behind when I go
0:44:44 > 0:44:47that will be here for animals.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50A place that, when they're sick and injured, we know we can bring them.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08It's not long after marking out his kangaroo design
0:45:08 > 0:45:12that the need for a wildlife hospital is really brought home
0:45:12 > 0:45:16to Brolga, when he discovers one of his adult females is in trouble.
0:45:19 > 0:45:22She looks like she's got a bad leg injury.
0:45:26 > 0:45:31This is Little Miss and she is one of my favourite old kangaroos.
0:45:33 > 0:45:36And I hate to say it, but I think she's broken her leg.
0:45:38 > 0:45:43Her right leg is swollen and much bigger than her left.
0:45:45 > 0:45:49And she has evidently got a really bad break.
0:45:49 > 0:45:51I'm really upset.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55Come on. Here. Have some food.
0:45:55 > 0:45:57Oh, oh.
0:46:07 > 0:46:09She's obviously in a lot of pain.
0:46:10 > 0:46:14But an animal like her doesn't show she's in pain.
0:46:14 > 0:46:15She doesn't cry out.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21Being a prey animal, an animal that gets eaten by other animals,
0:46:21 > 0:46:25she'd instinctively be concerned about a predator attacking her
0:46:25 > 0:46:27while she's vulnerable.
0:46:31 > 0:46:35Brolga knows that he needs to hang back.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38Little Miss is distressed and in pain.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41She will try to run if he gets too close,
0:46:41 > 0:46:44and this could make her injury much worse.
0:46:46 > 0:46:48He can't help her on his own.
0:46:48 > 0:46:50'Hello, this is Anna.'
0:46:50 > 0:46:53G'day, Anna. This is Brolga. How you going?
0:46:53 > 0:46:56- Good thanks, how are you? - I'm very well.
0:46:56 > 0:47:01I was wondering if a vet can come out to my sanctuary this morning.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04I've got a kangaroo with a possible broken leg.
0:47:04 > 0:47:08Yeah, sure, she'll come out after a couple of visits she's doing,
0:47:08 > 0:47:11so she should be there around 9.30. Is that all right?
0:47:11 > 0:47:14- About 9.30?- About 9.30. - All right, fantastic. Thanks. Bye.
0:47:25 > 0:47:30Little Miss is one of the first kangaroos that I had
0:47:30 > 0:47:32and started the sanctuary off with.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35She's a beautiful kangaroo, always loves to come up for a pat.
0:47:37 > 0:47:42I don't expect it to be the best outcome.
0:47:42 > 0:47:46She's an old animal. She may have to be put to sleep.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55An hour later, the vet, Dr Emily Bull,
0:47:55 > 0:47:58arrives from nearby Alice Springs.
0:47:58 > 0:48:02Is it actually her ankle or is it up above her knee?
0:48:02 > 0:48:03It's, well...
0:48:04 > 0:48:07It's just below her Achilles tendon,
0:48:07 > 0:48:10there seems to be a very big swelling.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12- OK, so her hop joint. - Yeah, her hop joint.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15So what we might do, if you can get her and hold her on the ground,
0:48:15 > 0:48:18I might give her some Valium straightaway.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21And it will take the edge off, and take the anxiety away anyway.
0:48:21 > 0:48:24If we need to transport her for X-rays or anything,
0:48:24 > 0:48:28we can give her some anaesthetic to make it a more comfortable ride.
0:48:28 > 0:48:32I'm going to have to grab her by the tail or even jump on top of her.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34- That's right. We've got to catch her.- Yeah, yeah.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43Little Miss is on edge.
0:48:44 > 0:48:46Brolga needs to act quickly.
0:48:47 > 0:48:49He can't allow her to escape.
0:49:07 > 0:49:10Emily gives Little Miss an injection to calm her down,
0:49:10 > 0:49:13and then sets about examining the area of swelling.
0:49:16 > 0:49:18I'm just going to pop a needle into it.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21There's actually a lot of fluid accumulation there.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24It's possible she's got an infection in that joint.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27- See, she's got that big fluid pocket here?- Yup.
0:49:27 > 0:49:30- I just want to see what it is, what that fluid is.- OK.
0:49:30 > 0:49:31- OK?- Yep, I'm all right.
0:49:34 > 0:49:35Good girl.
0:49:37 > 0:49:40OK, so what that is is...
0:49:41 > 0:49:42Oh, wow!
0:49:42 > 0:49:45- Synovial fluid. - Oh, wow, it's leaking out.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48Early investigations suggest an infection.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51For now, there's no sign of a break.
0:49:51 > 0:49:55This could be good news, but the vet wants to be sure.
0:49:55 > 0:49:58I would probably like to X-ray this
0:49:58 > 0:50:00to ensure there's not a fracture in the actual joint.
0:50:00 > 0:50:01All right, cool.
0:50:03 > 0:50:08All right. You might be able to just grab that leg for me there,
0:50:08 > 0:50:10and we can lift her up like this.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13Under heavy sedation, Little Miss is brought in
0:50:13 > 0:50:16to the Alice Springs Veterinary Centre for her X-ray.
0:50:16 > 0:50:18Can you get at that there?
0:50:18 > 0:50:19Good girl.
0:50:19 > 0:50:22Brolga is anxious to hear the results.
0:50:24 > 0:50:27OK, so, it's KV 48.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30- KV 48.- And second's point one.
0:50:34 > 0:50:38OK, Brolga, we can see all of this soft tissue swelling is evident.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41She's got actually a little bit of arthritic change,
0:50:41 > 0:50:45but she's an older girl so that's not particularly exciting.
0:50:45 > 0:50:48But none of the bones appear to have any fractures.
0:50:48 > 0:50:50So, she doesn't have any breaks?
0:50:50 > 0:50:52No. It looks like she's dodged a bullet.
0:50:52 > 0:50:54Gee, that's a relief.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56It's still a long road of recovery, you know.
0:50:56 > 0:50:58She's not going to get better in the next day or two
0:50:58 > 0:51:01because she does have some soft tissue injury there,
0:51:01 > 0:51:04but with some antibiotics and anti-inflammatories
0:51:04 > 0:51:08- we should be able to get her back on her feet.- Oh, cool.
0:51:11 > 0:51:17It's often when an animal or someone that you love becomes really sick
0:51:17 > 0:51:21that it makes you remember how much you really love them.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26And that's what I felt when she was in the vet there.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28Am I going to lose her?
0:51:28 > 0:51:29Thanks for everything.
0:51:31 > 0:51:35So, for the vet to say, through the X-rays, that it's all OK,
0:51:35 > 0:51:37and there's no fracture there,
0:51:37 > 0:51:41it's become a massive weight off my shoulders,
0:51:41 > 0:51:46and it's really restored how much I love her as an animal.
0:51:46 > 0:51:50- I can't get out. Can you open the door please?- Yes!
0:51:50 > 0:51:56So, it's a good wake-up call for me,
0:51:56 > 0:51:58the ones we love around us,
0:51:58 > 0:52:01I think we should, you know, not to take them for granted
0:52:01 > 0:52:03because tomorrow they could get sick.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06All right, thanks.
0:52:06 > 0:52:08I've now got a few more years left with Little Miss
0:52:08 > 0:52:10and I am going to treasure it.
0:52:10 > 0:52:15And never lose sight of the fact that, as our friends and family,
0:52:15 > 0:52:17as the kangaroos are to me,
0:52:17 > 0:52:20get older and older, that my time is limited with them,
0:52:20 > 0:52:23and I've got to make sure I enjoy every day.
0:52:25 > 0:52:26Right.
0:52:45 > 0:52:50It's been three weeks since Brolga treated Hope's skin infection,
0:52:50 > 0:52:51and it's good news.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53She's well on the mend.
0:52:56 > 0:52:59Today, Brolga has brought her out to his sanctuary,
0:52:59 > 0:53:02where in six months' time she will be released.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05To prepare her for her new home,
0:53:05 > 0:53:09Brolga is keen to start the process in introducing her to the mob.
0:53:15 > 0:53:16Hope's an orphan.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19All she's been doing for the last few months
0:53:19 > 0:53:22is being raised in an incubator, and then always in a pillowcase.
0:53:22 > 0:53:27I want her growing up knowing that she's a kangaroo.
0:53:27 > 0:53:31It's important for Hope to start to socialise with other kangaroos.
0:53:31 > 0:53:33Hello.
0:53:34 > 0:53:36To him, it's an unknown baby.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39All of a sudden there's another baby.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41Where did that come from?
0:53:41 > 0:53:44You can often see the look of puzzlement on their face.
0:53:44 > 0:53:47You never know what reaction you're going to get from another kangaroo,
0:53:47 > 0:53:50whether they're going to sniff it and say, "G'day",
0:53:50 > 0:53:52or sniff it and run off.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05As Hope is an outsider,
0:54:05 > 0:54:09it may take time for the adult kangaroos to accept the new arrival.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13Hey! Hey.
0:54:15 > 0:54:16Be nice.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18Cranky old thing.
0:54:21 > 0:54:25Along with meeting the mob, Hope is also in need of some training.
0:54:25 > 0:54:28Particularly in the art of hopping.
0:54:28 > 0:54:29Good girl.
0:54:29 > 0:54:33Some good sunshine, good sunshine. Good vitamin D.
0:54:35 > 0:54:37Come on, let's go for a hop.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40Let's stretch those little tendons. Come on, come on.
0:54:45 > 0:54:49Bringing Hope out into the sanctuary and getting her to follow me
0:54:49 > 0:54:53like this is really important because we've got to build up
0:54:53 > 0:54:57her Achilles tendon, that's what makes the kangaroo hop.
0:54:57 > 0:54:59It's like this big rubber band.
0:54:59 > 0:55:03If you don't exercise that, the tendon seizes up
0:55:03 > 0:55:05and she won't be able to be mobile.
0:55:05 > 0:55:10So, it's really important, at a very young age, like Hope is now,
0:55:10 > 0:55:12to actually get her out exercising.
0:55:16 > 0:55:18Hope's coming on leaps and bounds.
0:55:18 > 0:55:22She's got that bit of drive in her, and that is what a young joey needs
0:55:22 > 0:55:26when we rescue them from such an early age,
0:55:26 > 0:55:29they're going to need that drive - some have it, some don't.
0:55:29 > 0:55:33Unfortunately, some little ones pass on, but Hope has pulled through.
0:55:33 > 0:55:36She's going great and she looks up at me as Mum,
0:55:36 > 0:55:38and I feel really privileged,
0:55:38 > 0:55:40and I feel like it's given me a sense of purpose.
0:56:02 > 0:56:05Next morning, Brolga is up early to feed his kangaroos.
0:56:07 > 0:56:12It's a big day as his dream of building a wildlife hospital
0:56:12 > 0:56:14is finally becoming a reality.
0:56:18 > 0:56:21Today, builders have arrived to pour concrete
0:56:21 > 0:56:23and lay the foundations.
0:56:29 > 0:56:31I'm absolutely rapt.
0:56:31 > 0:56:35I almost can't believe it, I feel like I'm going to be tearful.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39It has been something I've wanted to do for a long time
0:56:39 > 0:56:41because I've seen the need for it.
0:56:43 > 0:56:46I've seen where we haven't had animals being able to get
0:56:46 > 0:56:48appropriate veterinary care.
0:56:48 > 0:56:52I've seen animals in the wrong hands, you know,
0:56:52 > 0:56:54people not looking after them with due care.
0:56:54 > 0:56:58This will be a place where animals can be, for one, dropped off,
0:56:58 > 0:57:03to the right place, where you know they will get the appropriate care,
0:57:03 > 0:57:07and a place where they can get fixed up.
0:57:11 > 0:57:14Actually, having the concrete go down really, well,
0:57:14 > 0:57:20cements it to me, that my lifelong dream is actually happening!
0:57:27 > 0:57:31Next time, Brolga welcomes Pete, the southern hairy-nosed wombat,
0:57:31 > 0:57:33to his new home.
0:57:34 > 0:57:36PETE BREAKS WIND
0:57:36 > 0:57:37It wasn't me.
0:57:39 > 0:57:42Brolga faces the daunting challenge of releasing
0:57:42 > 0:57:46his three orphaned camels into the wilds of his sanctuary.
0:57:46 > 0:57:49We are actually quite nervous about the move,
0:57:49 > 0:57:52just really hoping everything's going to go all right.
0:57:52 > 0:57:55And a run-in with his old sparring partner Roger,
0:57:55 > 0:57:59the dominant male, results in a serious injury.
0:58:02 > 0:58:05Will this be a major setback to realising his dream
0:58:05 > 0:58:07of building the wildlife hospital?
0:58:08 > 0:58:14When you're injured, you realise how difficult life can be.
0:58:14 > 0:58:16Your life is just thrown on its head.