Kangaroo Foster Parents

An Australian couple are among 800 volunteers who have turned their homes into nurseries for orphaned marsupials. (Time)

The fuzzy heads of baby kangaroos and wallabies peek out from a row of comfy-looking fabric pouches in the living room of Tina and Rod Davies, members of a network of 800 volunteers who provide foster care for orphaned animals in southeast Australia. Marsupials are often victims of road kill, and their offspring, called “joeys,” need round–the-clock care through infancy to survive. Rod Davies, a former racecar driver, abandoned his career to devote his time to wildlife in need.

Their passion for these creatures motivated the couple to move to a 12-acre farm, where custom-built outdoor fenced enclosures keep the older animals until they’re ready to be released to the wild. After a year of training and licensing, the Davies are ready to pick up an orphaned animal at a moment’s notice. The traumatized animals need special diets and exercise, and occasionally emerge from their simulated maternity pouches to practice hopping around the nicely furnished home. No problem -- to the Davies, these animals are “like family.”

CHANNEL: Time

Length: 4:21

Producer: David Clair
Supervising producer: Craig Duff

VIEW: http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,47924775001_1934328,00.html

SEE ALSO:

Wild Wallaby Rescue in Tasmania (Video)
http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,43435625001_1927784,00.html