Australia is home to a unique group of mammals called marsupials comprising of kangaroos, koalas, wombats, bandicoots, possums and other related animals. Marsupials are different to placental mammals, as they carry their young in a pouch rather than the womb. Marsupials can carry their young, called joeys, in their pouch for up to one year.
This makes it incredibly important that the pouch of a deceased female marsupial is checked for young. Joeys can remain alive for up to ten days after their mother has passed, protected by the pouch.
You can check a pouch yourself, or can call Wildlife Victoria’s 24/7 Emergency Response Service who will dispatch a trained volunteer to the scene.
Did you know?
Have you ever wondered why a deceased native animal has been spray painted with a cross or ‘X’?
This indicates that the animal’s pouch has already been checked for young.
How to perform a pouch check:
Ensure the animal is deceased prior to moving or conducting a pouch check.
If the deceased animal is on the side of the road, please move them as far away from the road as possible for your own safety.
Check the animal for testicles or a pouch. If it is a male animal, please spray them with a cross to alert others that they’ve been checked. For female animals, carefully open the pouch with your hands (use gloves if available).
Joeys can be as small as a jelly bean so it’s important to thoroughly search the pouch. At different developmental stages, different approaches are required to remove a joey from the pouch.
If the joey is alive, and is not attached to a teat, gently remove the animal from the pouch. At a young age joeys are unable to regulate their own body heat so you’ll need to place the joey somewhere warm such as a towel, jumper or blanket.
Call Wildlife Victoria for advice on the closest veterinary clinic or wildlife rehabilitator.
If the joey’s mouth is attached to a teat, you cannot remove the animal without first cutting the teat. Please contact Wildlife Victoria for advice and assistance.
Please note: If you are able to, it is actually favourable to transport the joey while still inside the pouch of the deceased mother. This will prevent injuring or distressing the young joey. This is advised for smaller species only (i.e. possums).
If you see a deceased animal and are unsure whether it needs to be pouch checked, please contact Wildlife Victoria’s Emergency Response Service on (03) 8400 7300.
We hope that by increasing your understanding and awareness of our beautiful wildlife, you will feel empowered to manage wildlife situations confidently and in an informed, safe and appropriate manner. For support at any time, please call our 24/7 Emergency Response Service on (03) 8400 7300.