Mr Mouse gets second chance

A rare baby nabarlek has been given a second chance at life in Broome after it was discovered curled inside its dead mother’s pouch in the Kimberley.

The nabarlek is also known as a pygmy rock wallaby. This one, called Mr Mouse, was found by a concerned traveller near Mt Hart on the Gibb River Road last month.

Believed to be between six and 10 months old, it was taken into the Department of Environment and Conservation, which united him with his surrogate mum, Jan Martin from Kimberley Wildlife Carers.

Little is known about these timid, doe-eyed creatures, Ms Martin said last week, as she cradled him in a soft, warm pouch during one of his regular bottle feeds.

“They are rare because their area is very limited, but they are not endangered yet,” she said.

Found in the Northern Territory and parts of the Kimberley, Ms Martin said the nabarlek’s habitat was in the heart of rocky wetland areas, where they feed on water plants like rushes and ferns.

Although having a reputation for being a carer of an extraordinary collection of wildlife, looking after a nabarlek was a first for Ms Martin.

“When he was brought to me, he was very lethargic and not drinking well,” she said.

“I had to do a bit of homework to get him going, just giving him some different energy-type food, vitamins and supplements.”

Ms Martin also made little teats and used a syringe to make feeding easier.

Despite making several phone calls to Perth Zoo and the Territory Wildlife Park, Ms Martin struggled to find anyone who knew about nabarleks. She has since liaised with staff at the Kimberley Training Institute to obtain the wallaby’s native water plants, and hopes to grow some of her own.

Four weeks on, Ms Martin said Mr Mouse was thriving and had gained weight.

For now, he will stay with Ms Martin while she considers options for his future. “Rehabilitating him will be a problem, so I don’t think we’ll be able to do that,” she said.

“At this point, I’m liaising with Perth Zoo because that would be the most appropriate place for him to go.”