Category
🐳
AnimalsTranscript
00:00 Okay, you've got a parade of little lambs who've been rejected by their moms,
00:04 and you've got a giant bunny who's got no company because she's so darn huge.
00:09 So what do you do?
00:11 You put them together and see if they get along.
00:14 Here at Ockingarwick Wildlife Centre in Scotland, this odd family just works.
00:21 You're probably wondering how this all came to be.
00:24 Well, first things first.
00:26 What's the deal with the sweaters?
00:29 They wear little jumpers in the wintertime, and even in February we have to have them with jumpers on
00:34 because it's quite cold, even though we've got a heat lamp inside.
00:37 That makes sense.
00:39 Without a mom, the lambs go without milk and warmth.
00:43 And without milk and warmth, well, they wouldn't survive.
00:46 At their age, they need to be fed about five times a day.
00:50 The warmth of this barn here will do.
00:54 And as you can see, they've got food coming their way too.
00:58 But a mother's love is something every kid needs.
01:00 What will these precious little lambs do?
01:03 Well, that's where Millie comes in.
01:05 Ever seen a bunny this big?
01:08 Millie's what's known as a giant continental rabbit.
01:11 And you can clearly see why.
01:14 She's bigger than the domestic rabbits that we have.
01:20 She hasn't got the same companionship as the other rabbits in here because we don't have anything her size.
01:28 The other rabbits, they've got burrows and things.
01:30 And Millie's too big to be there with them.
01:33 So she's just being on her own.
01:37 When you weigh in at around 50 pounds, like eight times the size of an average rabbit,
01:43 it's kind of hard to fit in.
01:45 And being without friends and companions breeds stress for rabbits.
01:49 Hello, are you here to see Millie?
01:54 Knowing her bunny needed pals, Maxine decided to let Millie roam around outside her pen one day.
01:59 The other residents caught wind of this development and wasted no time.
02:04 When the lambs came, it was just so unusual to see.
02:13 They were all racing around together and then we'd have a little rest and lie down together
02:19 and a little bit of grooming and then they would move on and have another race.
02:24 Millie really seemed to want to be with them.
02:27 I think she takes them on as her little babies and wants to look after them.
02:32 Unconditional love at first sight.
02:36 And from that day onward, they've spent every day together.
02:39 The kids can be a handful, but Millie doesn't seem bothered by them.
02:44 Ever since the lambs stormed their way into her world, she's no longer alone.
02:51 I'm so pleased that we did let her out beside them
02:54 because she's really been enjoying life since the lambs came along
02:58 and getting lots of exercise as well, isn't he Millie?
03:02 With the cold months behind them, the sweaters will soon be gone.
03:07 But at least now, everyone will finally be warm.
03:11 It's well known that joeys make good friends.
03:14 How you doing?
03:17 Leave two toddlers in a room together and they'll usually find enough in common to get along.
03:22 These kangaroo and wombat joeys are no different.
03:27 But you'd never guess their origin stories have very similar beginnings.
03:31 Let's start with Buggy.
03:33 Buggy is a very, very sweet kangaroo. He's been very sweet from day one.
03:39 This eastern grey kangaroo was found by golfers on a golf course,
03:45 snoring next to his dead mother.
03:47 They picked him up in their golf buggy, which is where he got his name, and called for help.
03:52 We went there and picked up Buggy and he was the cutest little fella.
03:57 He was in really good shape. He didn't hiss at us in any way, which a lot of roos do.
04:02 Without a mom and only about eight months old at the time,
04:06 Buggy needed round-the-clock monitoring and a warm pouch to sleep.
04:11 His gigantic adult fur hadn't grown in yet, and without help, he never would have made it.
04:16 So, Holly and Grant came up with a makeshift pouch as a substitute.
04:21 Here we go. Got your milk ready.
04:24 Here you go. Hop in.
04:27 That's it. Good boy. Good boy.
04:30 You're hungry, aren't you?
04:32 That's it? That's all you're going to drink today, huh?
04:40 It's only been three months, but he's already packing on the pounds.
04:43 In the past month alone, he tacked on 12 pounds.
04:47 Four bottles of milk a day for a growing boy will do that.
04:50 He needs all that sustenance to grow, and to hop around the joint, as kangaroos are known to do.
04:57 Buggy had it made, but before long, he had to share his crib with Wally.
05:09 About seven months ago, Holly and Grant spotted a dead wombat by the side of the road.
05:14 And inside her pouch was Wally.
05:17 Well, I initially got out of the car and I could see his little feet moving around in the pouch.
05:22 Once we cut him out, you could tell he was in good condition.
05:26 Look at him. He's so sweet.
05:34 He didn't seem injured, so we took him to a local wildlife carer who could give us some wombat milk.
05:40 Holly and Grant gave Wally a second chance.
05:44 But would Buggy be on board?
05:50 At first, not so much.
05:54 With time, Buggy got attached to Wally and wouldn't let go. Literally.
06:02 Buggy, for some reason, likes to just hang off Wally and suck his ears.
06:07 He likes to sit and he will suck all day.
06:10 So maybe it's just having something nearby that's easy to suck.
06:15 I think it's a comfort thing.
06:18 You know, when they're in their mother's pouch, they're obviously always on the teeth, always sucking that as well.
06:23 In the absence of that, they take whatever's nearest thing, and that's their thumb or their tail.
06:28 Or in Buggy's case, it's Wally's ear.
06:31 Inside their cute little nursery, the joeys each have their own pouch to rest in.
06:36 But they've become so close, they'd rather dream together.
06:42 But we kept on noticing that Wally would always get into the same bag that Buggy was in.
06:49 It doesn't matter what I do, I can walk away for two seconds, I come back, and either Buggy's in Wally's pouch or Wally's in Buggy's pouch.
06:59 And it's continual, all day.
07:01 It's a comfort thing for both of them, because Buggy would still be in and out of his mum's pouch.
07:08 Wally would still be waddling side by side with his mum.
07:12 So to have them both together, I think it's mainly comfort.
07:15 And they really enjoy each other's company, which is beautiful.
07:18 Beautiful, yes, but also a tight tweeze.
07:24 I have to check on them quite regularly and make sure that someone's not squashing someone else.
07:29 Eventually, they'll each be ready to be released back into the wild.
07:34 So they've got to get the hang of life outdoors.
07:37 That's it. Just take them for a little walk so you can get used to hopping.
07:43 Until that day comes, the company they keep will keep them warm.
07:48 Nice to see things are looking up, down under.
07:51 [Music]