Bettong joey injured after being thrown from mother’s pouch during Friday’s storms

A baby bettong is battling for life after it was thrown from its mother’s pouch during Friday’s storms.

A bettong was flown from its mother’s pouch during the storms on Friday. Picture: Sarah Reed

This little furry fellow might look all right, but she is clinging to life.

Flung from her mother’s pouch during Friday’s wild storm, this female bettong is battling for survival.

She was found by staff at the Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary in Mylor, who took it to Aldgate vet for treatment.

The bettong has suffered an unknown injury to her right hip, and struggles to hop without effort.

The bettong joey was thrown from her mother’s pouch during a storm. Picture: Sarah Reed

The sanctuary’s co-owner, David Cobbold, said it was hard to treat native Australian animals, because they don’t respond the same to treatment as domestic pets.

He said the vets at Aldgate and staff at the sanctuary are “optimistic”, but there was also a large unknown with treatment.

Mr Cobbold was unsure of exactly how the bettong became injured, but he said it was common for mothers to lose their joeys when they become startled.

“The mother was startled during the storms … because of that erratic fleeing movement, they joey was flung,” he said.

The bettong joey with head keeper Clare Andrew. Picture: Sarah Reed

The sanctuary is home to many nocturnal animals such as bandicoots, other bettongs and potoroos, as well as wallabies, kangaroos and a platypus.

The injured bettong will be a permanent resident of the sanctuary, joining the other nocturnal marsupials threatened in the wild by cats and foxes.