Home Topics Wildlife VIDEO: Meet Queensland’s “roo lady”

VIDEO: Meet Queensland’s “roo lady”

Image credit: Video by Saila Huusko

“The people think I’m nuts. But I don’t care; that’s their problem,” says Yvonne Wills.

Yvonne, who moved to Australia from Sweden in 1981, lives in the small town of Ilfracombe in Central West Queensland, about 27km east of Longreach. As the drought crippling much of the state has become severe in this area, wild kangaroos have run out of water and food and moved closer to the towns. Too weak to move away from oncoming traffic, many become roadkill, leaving joeys behind.

That’s where Yvonne steps in. Known to kids as the “roo lady” she takes care of orphaned kangaroos in her backyard and feeds the many more wild ones that show up behind her fence every evening. Although many in the area see the roos as pests, Yvonne can’t help but love the animals she works with.

Recorded by Saila Huusko in April, 2015.

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