Back to health

By Kath Gannaway
CHUM Creek Wildlife carer Belinda Gales is gradually regaining the trust of Beau, an 18-month-old joey.
Beau and 20-month-old Hope are being cared for by Miss Gales at Chum Creek Wildlife Shelter after being shot with arrows as they grazed with their mob at Latrobe University earlier this month.
There was an outpouring of public disgust after photos of Beau with an arrow protruding from either side of his face hit the Melbourne print and television news.
It is only last week that Miss Gales stopped having to inject Beau with antibiotics, so he is still a little wary of wildlife carers bearing gifts. He cautiously edges his way towards an offering of food, but at the same time is scanning his pen for an escape route.
Having seen the pain and stress the pair has gone through over the past couple of weeks, Miss Gales said she was relieved when told last week that charges had been laid over the attacks.
Police charged a 27-year-old Thomastown man on Wednesday with reckless conduct endangering life and four counts of aggravated cruelty.
Police made the arrest following information received after Wildlife Victoria offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to a prosecution under the Cruelty Act.
More than 50 kangaroos have been through the Chum Creek centre since the February bushfires and just a few survived.
“We went through so much with all these animals,” Miss Gales said of the efforts put in by wildlife carers and volunteers, “ … and you have someone out there doing something like this.
“There is just no justification for this sort of cruelty.”
Beau has recovered well from his injuries and has just a couple of sutures on either side of his face as evidence of his ordeal.
Hope is still being treated after her wound became infected, but is expected to fully recover.
Ms Gales said they would hopefully be released back into the wild by the time the accused man faced Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court on 25 June.