Waggin' Trail: Warning : Extreme Cuteness Alert

Here are way too many photos of Little Roo. He is HILARIOUS. I took him out to play in the compound yard and he just loved it. Then we couldn't get him to come in again, and finally after dinner we had to slowly corner him with a fuzzy blanket. Just like a little kid too excited to go to bed on time! I put him in his hammock and he passed out, he's fast asleep with his tail hanging out.

I was surprised at how he almost instantly went into natural grown-up roo behaviour - it was really fascinating. He started digging with his front paws in the dirt, pulling up roots to eat. He thinks he knows what he's doing, but he overbalances all the time (his tail saves him!), and sometimes gives himself a fright by digging up one of his own feet or getting tangled in a piece of grass - he does this spastic leap of surprise and sometimes falls over. He is excellent at hopping, but sometimes bumps into things so we have to make sure there's nothing for him to get caught on. He's curious about everything, but relaxed as well - he seems fine around the other animals, who sit and watch him, wondering what he is.

I'm sure he's about 8 months old, which means he's about halfway through his childhood stage - able to feed himself but still relying on mum's milk a few times a day, and needing some pouch time. Joeys are very vulnerable to stress and cold, so we have to move very slowly around him and not make loud or sudden noises. He is FASCINATED by the television (we turn the volume right down when he's inside). I've ordered special roo milk for him; they can seem really healthy and self-reliant but can get sick or die very quickly, so we just have to do our best and hope that he keeps thriving.

Here he is!