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 Merlot and Cooper, from the moment they met, showed extraordinary displays of affection towards each other. The devastation wrought on the landscape on February 7, 2009 meant that, for the first six months after the fire, all we could do was pass on to other shelters any orphaned or injured animals brought to us. There was nothing but ash for many months and we were also not equipped to care for any wildlife.
By August 2009, nature had started on the road to recovery and we had made the former hay shed our home. It was a 10m by 6m shed, which was to be home for us and the orphans in our care for two and a half years. On August 13, a young boy named Cooper was on his way to school just outside St Andrews when he came across a female kangaroo who had been struck by a car. The mum died shortly after we arrived, but the little joey in the pouch appeared to have survived the impact. We named him Cooper ( as a thank you to Cooper, the little boy who stopped to help a dying kangaroo mum). All the shelters were full and there was no one to care of the little one. We were not sure if a small shed was a safe place for a little Joey, but he settled into the life in the shed as well as we did. Cooper weighed exactly one kilogram.
By September 7, Cooper had put on half a kilogram and his fur was just beginning to appear. That day we had a little female Eastern Grey kangaroo brought in who was very sick indeed. The little girl weighed in at 1.3 kg. We decided to call her Merlot and we cleaned her up and tucked her into a warm pouch next to the very curious Cooper. It appeared that Merlot had been with her dead mum for almost three days and was very close to death. For Cooper, it seemed, it was love at first sight. Within a few hours, Cooper was leaning over to Merlot's pouch and giving her encouraging licks. The change in Merlot's condition over the next few days was nothing short of miraculous. She started to drink better and gradually put on condition. Cooper was delighted with his new mate and he would spend hours nudging and cleaning her. The bonds grew over the months and before long they were popping in and out of their pouches and often ended up in one.
They soon became known as the Romeo and Juliet of Wildhaven because wherever they went, whether it was playing inside the shed or enjoying their walks with Stella, they were inseparable. Countless photos taken over the ensuing months reveal the pair only centimeters apart. Merlot may be seen looking off into the distance, but one paw is firmly placed on Cooper's back. One particular photo of Stella's epitomises the relationship between Merlot and Cooper and that is' the hug'. Merlot would give Cooper hugs constantly. We walked with them and talked to them, a little Wallaby joined the team as well, her name is Alice.
They have all been released to the wild now but Romeo and his Juliet will be forever in our hearts. They were the first little ones to give renewed life to Wildhaven.
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