Man pulls baby kangaroo from flood (gets lecture from police)

[WillParkinson]

Man pulls baby kangaroo from flood

IPSWITCH, Australia, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- A concerned Australian who waded into flood-enhanced waters to rescue a baby kangaroo said he couldn't "watch our coat of arms just drown."

Ray Cole, 39, a father of five from Queensland, said he was standing with about 50 others at the One Mile Bridge in Ipswitch when they noticed the joey struggling to stay above the fast-moving flood waters, the Melbourne Herald-Sun reported Thursday.
GALLERY: World's Best Baby Beasts

"When I was growing up on the streets of Preston we learned and lived by the motto that you reach out and help others," Cole said.

Cole said the motto was in his head when we waded out into the water, grabbed the joey by the scruff of its neck and brought it back to shore.

"Last time I saw it, people had wrapped a blanket around it and it was back on its feet," Cole said.

He said the heroic deed earned him a lecture from police who told him he could have been arrested.

"You do what you do and I can live with that," he said.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2011/01/13/Man-pulls-baby-kangaroo-from-flood/UPI-79241294941723/#ixzz1B1l7ZOix

A picture is worth a thousand words:

[niyad]

1. is there any explanation for what crime he supposedly committed?

[Lasher]

3. Where I live it's illegal to hold any white tail deer captive for any period of time for any reason.

Maybe it's something like that.

[LeftinOH]

4. Probably for intentionally risking his own safety -which would have obliged first-responders to

to go after him if he went under the water. That didn't happen, though.

[Angry Dragon]

2. k&r

[lumberjack_jeff]

5. "You do what you do and I can live with that,"

My philosophy exactly.

[Zephie]

6. Aww, what a nice man. I love seeing people go out of their way for animals

[arthritisR_US]

16. ditto! :-) n/t

[Kadie]

7. k&r

Good job Mr. Cole.

[frogmarch]

8. Maybe in Australia there's a law against

"playing God." :eyes: Some years ago in Wyoming, a couple of men riding their snowmobiles saw a bison bull that had fallen through thin ice on a pond. Using ropes and their snowmobiles, they tried to pull the frantic, struggling bison out of the water. I don't recall if they succeeded, but I do recall that a forest service officer, who was standing by, doing nothing to help the bison, accused the men of interfering with nature.

Often humans view themselves as being separate from nature instead of part of it, and when someone tries to help a wild animal in distress, it's called "playing God."

Often humans piss me off.

[WillParkinson]

10. Because people never interfere with nature!

:headdesk:

[TwilightGardener]

9. Awww...good on him.

[Rex]

11. Many will disagree with me...but that man is a hero in my book.

[kwolf68]

15. Not me

The guy sets an example.

I think THIS is what "God" meant when he gave us dominion over the beasts of the field.

[WillParkinson]

18. Mine as well!

It's why I posted the article. I adore him.

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. I agree and as a rescue worker

I'd still issue the stern lecture. I posted why bellow.

[Shagbark Hickory]

12. Interesting how the cops had time to give a lecture during this flooding disaster which has made

headlines all over the world.

[Flubadubya]

13. Exactly...

Why weren't they busy finding "real people" to save? What a waste! :grr:

[Shagbark Hickory]

20. ???

mm kay.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

14. Well done, sir!

:applause: You did a good thing.

[Solly Mack]

17. K&R

[Ikonoklast]

19. Good on ya, mate.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

21. A picture is worth a thousand words

:thumbsup:

[kimi]

22. Aw, that's a nice story

Nice guy. Karma, it's a beautiful thing.

[nadinbrzezinski]

23. Way to go, but as an emergency worker

I would have issued the same exact lecture.

As much as this had a good end... I'd hate to think rescue having to go after him.

But it ended up well... so this is well with the world.

Hope that joey is old enough NOT to need mom. I suspect mom is no longer with the living.

Oh and the second reason for the lecture... Joeys and any wild animal can be especially "unpredictable" when scared.

My lovely conure reminded me of this the other day, and NOT in an emergency situation. She got wrapped with some thread. Thread needed to be taken off with a scissor, she usually is a very trusting bird; I had to hold her tight, and she still bit.

[sam kane]

25. He should star in the made-for-TV Baby Kangaroo rescue movie.

People would watch.