He’d been getting worse over several days.
Last week, a resident in suburban Australia glanced outside and saw a familiar sight — a large kangaroo in the yard. The local mob often passed through, so that part was nothing unusual. But this time, something was clearly wrong.
A black electrical wire was tangled tightly around one of the kangaroo’s feet.
Over the next few days, the homeowner kept watch and noticed the wire seemed to be tightening. Worried the animal could be seriously hurt, they contacted a wildlife rescue hotline.
A sanctuary worker first came out and tried to sedate the kangaroo so the wire could be removed, but the dart did not work. Frightened, the kangaroo limped away into the bush and vanished for several days.
That was when Rebecca Ingram, chairperson of Marsupial Mammas and Pappas Wildlife Care, stepped in.
As soon as she arrived, she spotted a kangaroo slowly emerging from the bush. The homeowner pointed out that it was the same one with the wire around its leg.
Careful not to scare him off, Ingram quietly prepared her tranquilizer and approached with as little disturbance as possible. To help keep the mob calm, the homeowner tossed out carrots, giving the kangaroos something to focus on while Ingram took her shot.
This time, the dart worked.
Once the kangaroo was safely sedated, Ingram examined the leg and found that the wire, though wrapped around the foot, was thin enough to cut easily with large scissors. Fortunately, it had loosened enough that it had not caused any real injury, so no further treatment was needed.
Within an hour, the kangaroo was back on his feet and had rejoined his mob.
The rescue group later described him as a beautiful boy who stood up strong and steady, then returned to grazing as though nothing had happened.
The homeowner later realized the wire had likely come from a solar panel setup and had been left out on the veranda. They believe the kangaroo may have hopped up to investigate and accidentally become tangled.
Ingram said she was simply grateful the story ended well, while also urging people to report possible wildlife injuries as soon as they notice them. In her view, when something looks wrong, it usually is.