Where Is the Outrage? The Silent Damage Caused by Members of the Public (MOP’s)

Every day, wildlife falls victim not only to human cruelty and neglect but also to uninformed good intentions that cause harm. Members of the public, without training or understanding, take in injured or orphaned animals, inadvertently creating situations of suffering and distress for the very creatures they hoped to help. The stories are endless, and the outrage deserves to be loud and unrelenting.

Take the tragic case of Maggie the magpie, raised alongside a dog. While this may seem harmless or even heartwarming at first glance, the reality is starkly different. Maggie, imprinted on the dog, never learned to be a magpie, stripping her of the instincts crucial to her survival. The cruelty lies not in overt acts but in ignorance—bringing up a wild animal in a domestic setting where it can never thrive as nature intended.

Or the heartbreaking case of a family that raised a kangaroo as a pet, alongside a dog. When the dog tragically passed away, the kangaroo, having been imprinted to believe it was also a dog, became distraught and depressed. Unable to cope, the family decided to dump the kangaroo with a wildlife carer, leaving yet another heartbreaking case for carers to handle. The emotional toll on both the animal and the carer is immense. This kangaroo didn’t know it was a kangaroo and couldn’t adapt to its natural instincts—a tragedy born from misunderstanding and mismanagement.

"This little one was dropped off at Amaris Wildlife Sanctuary after being raised by a member of the public, with no history other than he was a shearing shed joey. On arrival he stopped eating and drinking and was suffering from myopathy. It took six hours on a drip to stabilise him and months of dedicated care to help him become a cherished part of the Amaris mob. Thankfully, we’ve connected with his previous carers, who have since been an integral part of watching him transform into a wild boy. They now understand what they did was wrong and have already reached out to registered carers twice with calls of a joey they rescued, ensuring future wildlife gets the right support."

Then there are cases like the kangaroo kept in a backyard for five years until it outgrew its surroundings, began jumping fences, and became impossible to manage. When it was finally surrendered, the poor animal required five months of rehabilitation to relearn how to be wild before it could be released into its rightful habitat with a mob of its own.

Chippy was dropped off at Amaris Wildlife Sanctuary after enduring months of inappropriate feeding by well-meaning but untrained individuals. Tragically, the damage to his body was too severe. Despite the sanctuary's best efforts, Chippy succumbed to kidney and liver failure. His story is a heartbreaking reminder of the irreversible harm that can be caused when wildlife is cared for without the proper knowledge or training.

A kangaroo raised in a suburban backyard near a busy highway became the subject of numerous reports of being missing, only to meet a tragic end one evening when she was struck by a car and killed. It was left to a carer to lay this innocent soul to rest, spending hours scouring the area for signs of a joey that might have been left behind. Reflecting on the heartbreak, the carer wrote:

"Yet another victim of a hit and run. Left laying undignified on the side of the road. Another anonymous face disappearing in the callous hands of society. Still warm to the touch of a soft pair of hands trying to fix and straighten her lifeless body. She deserves so much more than she received. Why is it that no one stopped? No one cared enough to help? Because to you she was just a kangaroo that damaged your car. But to me, she was a majestic thing of beauty and grace. Who was just lost and trying to get home. With anger boiling in my blood and tears threatening to spill, she deserved so much more than what you gave."

This heartbreaking account underscores the danger of keeping wildlife in suburban settings without proper care or understanding. These wild creatures deserve dignity, freedom, and a life that honors their natural instincts—not a fate sealed by ignorance, mismanagement, and tragedy.

The trauma doesn't stop there. Cherish, another orphaned kangaroo, was taken in by a shooter after her mother was killed. Lacking proper care, she was denied nourishment, warmth, and safety—no pouch, no bed, no consistent food. By the time she arrived at Amaris Wildlife Sanctuary, she was severely undernourished and suffering from liver, kidney, and pancreas issues. Months of devoted care, vet visits, blood tests, medications, and unconditional love were needed to bring her back to health. Today, she is a healthy mum, thriving with her new mob, but the scars of her early life remain.

You can read more about Cherish HERE

Wild animals will not come back when called like a dog, nor will they find their way "home" like a cat might. Their instinct is to run. This was tragically evident in the case of a kangaroo that escaped from a backyard where it had been raised as a pet. Terrified and confused, the kangaroo was pursued by many people. With its fear driving it to keep running, it ultimately darted into traffic, where it was hit by a car. The injuries were so severe that the kangaroo had to be euthanised. Such incidents emphasise the danger and suffering caused when wildlife are improperly kept as pets.

Let’s not forget Mimmie the magpie, rescued by a well-meaning member of the public but eventually abandoned because it was Christmas, and they didn’t know what to do with her. Released without preparation into the bush, Mimmie was left vulnerable. Wild magpies are territorial, and without the correct diet or survival instincts, she was at risk of starvation or injury even death. Thankfully, she was later rescued by a passerby and brought to Amaris Wildlife Sanctuary for proper rehabilitation.

Keeping wildlife is not only illegal without proper registration; it is an act of cruelty and selfishness. It is NEVER in the best interest of the animal. Wild creatures require specialised care, rehabilitation, and an environment that allows them to thrive as nature intended. Mishandling wildlife causes trauma, suffering, and long-term consequences for their health and wellbeing.

The misunderstanding of wildlife needs goes beyond isolated incidents. Facebook wildlife carer pages are filled with these stories. Yet, where is the outrage? The damage caused by uninformed interference in the lives of wild animals is staggering, and the toll on carers tasked with undoing that damage is enormous.

We must demand better. Better education for the public about the unique needs of wildlife. Better support for wildlife carers who are left to pick up the pieces. And better systems to protect wild animals from unnecessary suffering caused by well-meaning but harmful actions. Wildlife is not meant to be raised as pets, as part of human families, or alongside domestic animals. They deserve to be wild, to thrive in their natural environments, and to live with dignity.

Let’s channel this outrage into action. Spread awareness, educate those around you, and support the carers who dedicate their lives to giving these animals the chance they deserve. The voices of our wildlife—and their carers—deserve to be heard.