Wombat joeys get a feed.

Transported a pissed-off Tawny Frogmouth and 70-gram ringtail joey to Frank and Sue's furry funzone in Macleod this obscenely hot afternoon. Arrived in time to help Sue feed a recovering wombat joey named Nettie (above). Frank was called out last week to rescue her. She was in a paddock, alone, no mother in sight. Scratches on her face indicated she'd approached male wombats for companionship and they'd responded by attacking her. Frank showed me a jar crawling with 40+ ticks he'd removed from her undernourished frame. Sue was busy feeding a chubby male joey named Bumblebee (below) when I arrived. My clumsy handling of Nettie sent her burrowing into her pouch, where she fell asleep in the crook of my arm before Sue took over feeding chores. Nettie was in a bad way when Frank brought her into he and his wife's care but they're confident she's got a good chance of recovering and being raised with Bumblebee and, eventually, being released back into the wild.

This is also a wombat joey, though considerably younger and more space alien-looking. She was found in her dead mother's pouch and is being nursed to adolescence by Sue.

She actually looks like an old Jewish man, but that's probably a wildly inappropriate comment.

Frank and Sue are remarkable humans.

Have I mentioned that?

Wildlife Victoria is lucky to have them as carers.

I'm lucky to have them as friends.