A farmer has rescued a kangaroo stuck up to its neck in a dried-out dam, as tough conditions continue to impact the NSW Central West.
Scott Richardson, who was working on a farm in Narromine, about 40km west of Dubbo, found the animal bogged in mud.
He believes the kangaroo was searching for water to drink when it slipped and became stuck in the dried-out dam.
Mr Richardson said the kangaroo may have been stuck in the mud for more than a day.
His immediate thought was to put the animal out of any pain.
“When I drove past and saw him stuck in the dam I thought there’d only be one option: to humanely euthanise him,” he told the ABC.
“Then, I saw he still had some strength left and had put up a fight. He’d crawled a good 15m through the thick, swampy mud.”
He said the kangaroo’s face had “dropped down into the mud” after becoming trapped.
Luckily, the farmer said the animal was relatively light, and he was able to pull him out of the swampy mud.
“I thought I was going to get towelled up a bit trying to help, but he was as happy to hop away as I was to see it,” he said.
The lack of rain in recent months has made it difficult for animals to access drinking water in the regional areas.
Mr Richardson said the conditions were “rather perilous”.
“We’re in a big rain deficit at the moment. We haven’t had any substantial rain since September,” he said.
“The dams are dry. They didn’t catch any water in that event, and they’ve certainly caught nothing since.”
He said people needed to “show some humility” to animals struggling in the dry conditions.
“When wildlife and birds are doing it tough, trying to find water to drink, a little bit of compassion is always good to have,” he said.
“Farmers are the stewards of the land. We do give a toss, and we do care.”
