Missy, our little Western Brush wallaby, died on 5th August 2004.

Missy's body was sent to Murdoch University in Perth for autopsy,
and the report has been posted on our Autopsy page.

But before you read that we ask you to share the life of our special little wallaby.

Missy arrived to live at Roo Gully on 18th March 2004.
She had been orphaned in a road accident and weighed 1.275 kilos.

Our little wallaby, with her fur making her look like a toilet brush,
soon settled into life at Roo Gully

She was cheeky and very loving, and easy to love.
I was about to fall in love with my 4th wallaby,
but for Ben, our UK student, it was to be his first wallaby love.

In the beginning we struggled to find her a name.
We thought of Bella, Evie, Susie, Pixie and a few others,
but none seemed to suit her.

The name stuck,
and suited her very confident personality.

Missy was to take this confidence outside.

She enjoyed meeting the birds
whose aviaries back onto the wallaby compound.

Our older wallaby, Winnie,
was quite nervous of this newcomer.

But Missy was not deterred and followed Winnie into her enclosure.

We filmed some interesting behaviour between the 2 wallabies,
but within days Missy had won over Winnie and they became mates.

Life was good for many months with our wallabies.
Missy weaned from milk and started spending her nights outside with Winnie,
but she still liked to join us inside the house whenever she felt like it.

Then on the 3rd August Missy became sick.
She was rushed to veterinary hospital where she was given emergency treatment,
for a suspected massive bacterial infection and returned home, on a drip.

She was treated with aggressive antibiotics,
and received intensive care, nursed around the clock.

And then early that evening she began suffering from convulsions.
We kept her going through the night with medication,
and were pleased when, at 3am, she got up, walked around the bedroom and even ate.

Sadly 4 hours later she started convulsing again,
and despite everything we tried to do she died.

Following her autopsy, Missy's body was cremated
at Lawnswood Pet Crematorium in Perth.

,

And her ashes have now arrived home.
Work is starting on a monument for Missy
in our bush cemetery where her ashes will rest.

Missy's short life at Roo Gully, and maybe even her death,
will we hope advance the care and treatment or these precious macropods.

She was a very special little wallaby and I know we all miss her.