After a dramatic rescue and extended recovery, Louie the wallaby has been released back into the wild.
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The wallaby was found down a four-metre deep mine shaft in Invermay more than a fortnight ago by a local prospector.
After about four hours he was rescued by a combined effort by SES, CFA and Five Freedoms Animal Rescue.
It is thought that little Louie could have been trapped for up to four days prior to his rescue.
He was taken to the Hepburn Veterinary Clinic for emergency treatment before going into care with Manfred Zabinskas from Five Freedoms Animal Rescue.
“He wasn’t looking too good,” Mr Zabinskas said.
Louie required constant care and medication to bring him back to full health. He spent the first few days in care in a baby cot, before moving into a more spacious environment.
Eventually Louie was going bouncing mad trying to get back into the wild.
“It was great to see, in the space of a few days he went from struggling in bed to jumping around like nothing was wrong.”
After releasing Louie back into the bush, Mr Zabinskas admitted he was feeling mixed emotions.
“We’re happy to see him hopping along and back in the wild, but it’s always a little sad to see them go after you put so much care into them.
“Our priority now is to get these mines capped and make sure animals don’t keep falling through.”
There are hundreds of dangerous disused mines in the area, many of which are anywhere between 20 to 50 metres deep.
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