“Watch me wallaby's feed, mate, watch me wallaby's feed.
They're a dangerous breed, mate, so watch me wallaby's feed.”
Lyrics from “Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport” by Rolf Harris

What began as a simple vacation to Sandusky, Ohio for Aaron, Erin, Morgan, and Ingrid White turned into a significant change in the dynamics of their family life.  Initiated by a visit to a safari resort and an encounter with several wallabies, in no time flat what followed was a trip to Dallas, Texas, where the process ended with a new member joining the family in Oakland, Maryland.

It’s easy to see why a person would fall in love with a wallaby.  They are cute, cuddly, and conjure up images of Kanga and Roo in the beloved children’s story Winnie the Pooh.  Plus, how many other people do you know who actually have a wallaby living in their home?

Research into the possibility of owning a wallaby turned up a breeder in Texas and the decision was easily made, with no second thoughts of turning back.  Mr. White hopped on a plane to Dallas and went into the terminal to meet Kangaroo Kate and Quigley.  Given the nature of her mission, K.K. had received special permission to enter the passenger area, even though she did not have a boarding pass.  Airport security people inspected Quigley, gave him the necessary clearance, and he was placed in a carrier.  Forty-five minutes later he and Mr. White were on a plane bound for the return trip to the East coast.

Think kangaroos, shrink them down in your mind, and what you end up with are essentially the smaller-version wallabies.  These pint-sized kangaroos are indigenous to Australia and nearby islands, and the breed that has taken up residence in Garrett County, a member of the Bennett clan, was originally from Tasmania, just south of Australia.  Bennett’s Wallaby:  Macropus rufogriseus, with the common name derived from the naturalist Dr. George Bennett.

There are many wallaby species, with some named according to their habitat: shrub wallabies, brush wallabies, and rock wallabies.  Hare wallabies are named for their bunny-like behavior and their similar rabbit size.  Another variety has a sharp growth on the end of its tail and is appropriately called a nail-tail wallaby.  Bennett wallabies have a denser fur and are more accustomed to cold weather, obviously making them a better match for our Garrett County climate.

Quigley is a vegetarian and in spite of the fact that he eats a large amount of bark and dry, dead leaves, will grow to a height of about two and a half feet and will weigh anywhere up to forty pounds.  When first brought home to his loving family, he had to have his diet supplemented by bottle feedings that were equipped with a specially shaped nipple designed to mimic his natural mother.

The formula was wallaby-formulated and aptly named Wambaroo.  Ms. White gave a long sigh of relief when she explained that the every five hour around-the-clock feedings were no longer necessary.

In the kingdom of animals, some have their activity take place by the light of day, while others tend to be night-owls.  Wallabies are diurnal, however, which means that Quigley is on the prowl at times during the day, other times by the shine of the moon.  Ms. White explained that there are a couple of intervals during each day when something atavistic stirs in Mr. Q, and he takes off running around the room like a bat-out-of-hell.  This furious motion will go on for about half an hour and is a strange sight to behold; a frenetic circling of the room, perhaps as a means of keeping in practice for a quick escape from danger.

As you can see, wallabies have rather long tails, and although they don’t use them for climbing or holding on, they do assist in balance while running around or sitting propped up.   Their back legs are strong and exactly what’s called-for in order to run fast and leap high, and the males have no hesitation in using them to kick another suitor when they are having a tussle over the women-folk.

The front legs are sometimes used for boxing an opponent, and Quigley has on occasion put his to use in sparring with Morgan and Ingrid.  Fortunately, he is small and with not too much oomph, so that his blows don’t amount to much.  He can also bite, but it is more of a friendly little nibble than anything like a dangerous clamping-down.

Macropods (meaning big feet) are extremely fastidious animals and will groom themselves by licking their fur and keeping squeaky-clean.  Similar to his kin, Quigley is able to swim, but in the wild he is not particularly drawn to hopping into a body of water.  When it comes to having an attachment to his new family, however, it makes for an entirely different situation.  In their bathroom, Morgan and Ingrid have a shower stall with a glass door, and when Quigley sees them inside, he will gladly jump in and have his fur washed and spruced up.

A wallaby is obviously a rather exotic pet, and it dawned on me that before going out to visit Quigley and his new family, I should check out his legal immigration status.  I certainly would not want to have his picture all over the internet and to be responsible for having him nabbed in the middle of the night by the INS people and whisked off to some dreary detention center.  Certain animals in Maryland require a special permit in order to keep them as pets, but wallabies are not on the list, and fortunately, not in need of a hush-hush attitude towards their presence in Garrett County.

It’s one thing to actually go out and buy a wallaby, but how in the heck do you know what to do with one once he arrives at his new abode?  Have no fear, there is a rather large tome called The Complete Guide to The Care of Macropods.

This 437 page book explains the ins and outs of caring for your pet, including feeding requirements, medical emergencies, and typical behaviors.  There is information on colic, thrush, reflux, diarrhea: just about any malady you might imagine, and many that you never knew existed.

Advice on the optimum diet for a wallaby indicates the need for a very high-fiber, low protein diet, just right for allowing your pet to attain its typical fifteen year life-span. Lists of foods to be avoided are provided, and these include many items found in Garrett County, such as potatoes, daffodils, and azaleas.

When my kids were oh-so-little I can remember having a clever little pouch-like carrier that was called a Snuggly: very suitably named, as my bambino was right up against the warmth of my chest and abdomen and snug as a bug in a rug.  The Snuggly was simply a concept stolen from the wallabies, for being a member of the marsupial family means that the young are kept safe and warm in their mother’s pouch, a refuge of coziness for the first several months when they are basically helpless little critters.   These babies, just like their kangaroo counterparts, are referred to as joeys, and when wallabies hang out together in the wild, they are deemed to be part of a “mob;” not to be confused, however, with the New Jersey variety.

The gestation for a wallaby-fetus is a brief thirty days, but he stays in Mom’s special pocket until about nine months old, and will nurse up to sixteen months.  Even when the joey first emerges from the pouch, its DNA is hard-wired for it to somersault back into its protective environment.  This repetitive activity, done many hundreds of times, serves to strengthen the neck and abdominal muscles that are so necessary for survival in the wild.

The Complete Guide guide-book also has a section on making a substitute momma’s pouch, for Quigley at his age of arrival in Maryland needed one to sleep in at night in order to continue his normal growth pattern and to build up the muscles that would otherwise possible atrophy.  Even when wallabies are more fully grown, they will hop into a pouch when faced with possible danger.

As mentioned, Quigley gets into his pouch by doing a somersault, which amounts to a well-executed back-flip, and I wanted to capture his maneuver on video.  Alas, during the time of my visit, he was not up to cooperating and could not be coaxed into doing his nifty trick.  On the other hand, it wasn’t bedtime, and we were outside, not in the basement where his sleeping quarters are located and where he typically turns in for the night.  And in truth, maybe he felt like it was beneath him to perform on command for a total stranger like myself.

Wallabies do need an enclosure when spending time outdoors, and Quigley has a nice-sized chain-link yard for getting a breath of fresh air.  He is not the least bit like a dog or other domesticated pet that will wander off a while and return to his home.  Rather, Mr. Q would simply meander into the woods or uncharted territory and not be seen again.  The fence thus keeps him from getting lost in the neighborhood or being attacked by predators. If there is trouble possibly lurking nearby, like Thumper in the story of Bambi, a wallaby will repetitively smack his foot on the ground to warn of impending danger, all the while making a hissing sound.

Owning a wallaby is surely not for everyone, as there is a definite need for a commitment of time and patience in adjusting to a new member of the family.  Mr. Aaron, Ms. Erin, their daughters, and Quigley are clearly well into the process of adapting to each other and bonding as a family.  You might say that Quigley has it made in the shade, sitting cuddled up on a typical Saturday morning, watching cartoons with the girls.

Check out the audio/video of the song, “Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport,” as well as our futile attempt at getting Quigley to do his back-flip.  Even though he was not up to performing his pouch-trick for the camera, he was gracious enough to have us in his presence, and that in itself was a genuinely pleasurable experience.