The Joy and Magic of Mia
Mumma’s Mia: A Circle of Care Comes Full Circle
At Amaris Wildlife Sanctuary, we often speak of the quiet miracles that unfold in our backyard. But some stories shimmer with a kind of magic that demands to be shared. This spring, one of those stories belongs to Mumma’s Mia—a hand-raised joey who has grown into a gentle, watchful mother to her own little boy, Monty.
Mia’s journey has been marked by resilience. Years ago, she successfully raised Mardie, her first joey, with the kind of maternal grace that made her my favourite. But last year, heartbreak struck. During the chaos of the mating chase—a time when kangaroos are most vulnerable—both Mia and Mardie lost their babies. It was a grief that settled deep in our bones.
This year, however, the tide has turned. Mia has been mated again, and Monty remains safely by her side. Each day, she lounges in the sanctuary’s backyard, her body relaxed, her eyes soft, her boy nestled close. She knows she is safe. And in that safety, she offers Monty the kind of calm, uninterrupted care that every joey deserves.
There’s a rhythm to their days—a language of trust and instinct. When danger whispers on the wind, Mia doesn’t panic. She clicks. It’s a sharp, urgent sound, unmistakable to those who know it. And Monty, without hesitation, head-dives into the sanctuary of her pouch. It’s a choreography of survival, rehearsed over generations, now playing out in our own backyard.
Inside that pouch, Monty is nourished not just by warmth and protection, but by a marvel of biology. Kangaroo milk isn’t static—it evolves. In the earliest stages, it’s rich in carbohydrates and antibodies, tailored to support a tiny, underdeveloped joey. As Monty grows, the milk shifts in composition, offering more proteins and fats to fuel his development. If Mia were raising two joeys at different stages, her body would produce two distinct types of milk—one for each. Nature’s precision is astonishing.
Watching Mia mother Monty is more than witnessing a biological process—it’s witnessing healing. It’s seeing a hand-raised joey, once cradled by human arms, now cradling her own child with instinctive grace. It’s the full circle of care, made possible by love, safety, and the sanctuary we’ve built together.
To see her each day, lazing in the sun, grooming Monty, clicking him into safety when needed—it’s a gift. And it’s a reminder: every life here is precious. Every bond, sacred. Every moment, worth protecting.
