In the middle of a busy day on a construction site in rural Australia, one worker suddenly froze. From the corner of his eye, something unusual caught his attention — a small, pink shape lying motionless in the garden below.
Curious and concerned, he climbed down to take a closer look. That’s when he heard it — a faint, trembling sound, somewhere between a squeak and a cry.
“He said [he was] making a funny noise,” Theresa Matthews of Our Haven Wildlife Shelter told The Dodo.
To his astonishment, the worker realized the fragile creature wasn’t a bird or a mouse — it was a newborn kangaroo, pink, furless, and heartbreakingly alone. The baby was calling out for his mother, who was nowhere to be found.
The man immediately contacted Our Haven Wildlife Shelter, and within minutes, a volunteer arrived to bring the joey to safety.
At the shelter, rescuers carefully examined the tiny baby.
“[I] checked him over, [and] he had no injuries,” Matthews said. “Then I gave him a warm bottle, which he drank very well.”
It's no wonder the construction worker noticed the joey's cries. Baby kangaroos are known for their unique call, which you can hear in this video:
Wrapped snugly and tucked into a soft pouch, the joey finally relaxed — warm, safe, and loved for the first time since losing his mother.
According to BBC Wildlife Magazine, baby kangaroos, or joeys, usually spend the first six months of their lives nestled inside their mother’s pouch, relying on her for warmth, milk, and protection. Without that care, a joey can’t survive long on its own.
But thanks to one observant construction worker who stopped to help, this little roo now has a fighting chance.
“He is a very strong little boy,” Matthews said.
Once he’s old enough, the joey will return to the wild — free to hop through the grass once more, just as nature intended.
To support rescues like this one, you can make a donation to Our Haven Wildlife Shelter.
