Qld floods: Tiny rock wallaby joey washes up under Townsville patio

Washed up under a Townsville patio and with no sign of its mother, a tiny shivering wallaby joey has captured the hearts of Queenslanders as it’s whisked away to a local wildlife carer.

In among all the devastation caused by the North Queensland floods, a shivering joey without any fur was found washed up under a Townsville patio.

Almost as if it knew exactly where to go for help, the joey barely flinched when it was carefully picked up by animal enthusiast and dog owner, Grace Vigar.

She then grabbed a box to place the marsupial in before contacting a local wildlife carer.

“She is a five-month-old rock wallaby,” she said.

A tiny joey has been rescued after losing its mother in the North Queensland floods. Picture: Grace Vigar

The passionate animal advocate described the joey as “so tiny” and “so cold”.

The joey was wrapped up in a blanket and then given to the wildlife carer to look after.

“All lives matter to me, no matter how small,” Ms Vigar said.

The video was uploaded to TikTok on Wednesday, with the rescuer showing how drenched her property had become from the floods.

Ms Vigar said in the days prior to finding the joey, her entire front yard was “like a swimming pool.”

North Queensland Wildlife Care president Dominique Thiriet said calls for help had doubled since the start of the flood emergency, with the organisation receiving around 40 calls a day.

“We are mainly getting calls for birds. Little baby birds are the most vulnerable, they can’t fly and get into terrible trouble,” she said.

“Most species are affected, wallabies, possums, reptiles, birds, they get very wet, cold, hypothermic, sometimes they get washed down into the floods and all kinds of trouble.”

She recommended that people should attempt to catch the animal, wrap it in a towel and potentially provide a hot water bottle, then call a wildlife carer, adding that the priority should be to warm up injured wildlife.

Despite the cold and soggy conditions, she said the organisation has been warmed by the support given from locals.

“We’ve had some great stories of some animals that have been rescued from very difficult situations. We’ve got a wonderful team of rescuers and carers that have been taking in lots of animals,” she said.

“They are working incredibly hard, and we are also incredibly grateful for members of the public keeping an eye out for animals in trouble.”

As the clean-up continues, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has arrived in North Queensland to assess the damage caused, signing off on income support for residents affected across eight local government areas.

Originally published as Qld floods: Tiny rock wallaby joey washes up under Townsville patio