A Day in the Life of a Sunset Creek Carer

Caring for Australia’s unique wildlife is more than just a job—it’s a calling. At Sunset Creek, every day brings something new, from sunrise feedings to late-night snuggles with orphaned joeys. As a wildlife carer, I get to witness the magic of rehabilitation and play a part in helping injured and orphaned animals get a second chance at life. And all this before our sanctuary is even open! With a desperate need for wildlife carers we have been thrown into our role as wildlife carer with months still before the sanctuary will be ready to take visitors. Here's a glimpse into what a typical day looks like behind the scenes.

Morning Routine 🌅

The day begins early, often just as the sun peeks over the trees. My first priority is checking on the animals who spent the night in care.

• Feeding Time: The day begins at 6.00am (if you don't include the 2.00am feed in the middle of the night for our pinky joey), then we have another joey to feed at 7 and another to feed at 7.15am.

• Health Checks: Each animal is gently inspected for any signs of stress, injury, or illness. I monitor their weight, hydration, and activity levels closely. Once a week the joeys are also measured to check their growth and make sure they are on track.

• Clean-Up & Fresh Bedding: Enclosures are cleaned, bedding is refreshed, and food bowls are swapped out for clean ones. Keeping the sanctuary hygienic is key to preventing illness.

• Outside time: our young joey Eve loves to spend the early morning outside soaking up those first rans of sun. This is perfect time for her to practice her running and jumping and spends much of the time exploring and munching on fresh green grass. Our two little joeys who are in their pouches full time often still come outside in the morning to sniff grass and just enjoy some morning sun.

• Feeding time: joey feeding time starts again at 10.00am with our littlest joey, then at 11am for our middle joey and then at 12noon for Eve who spends more time outside after her feed enjoying the sun (or begging for her pouch back lol)

Midday Tasks ☀️

Once the essentials are covered, the middle of the day is usually filled with admin, business building, and enrichment.

• Joey Cuddles & Enrichment: Time is set aside for joeys to stretch, hop around safely, and enjoy cuddles in a warm pouch substitute.

• Record Keeping: We keep detailed logs of each animal’s progress—what they ate, how they’re healing, and any new behaviors noticed.

• Community Outreach Prep: Whether it’s preparing for a school visit, updating our followers online, or getting ready for a weekend market, there’s always something brewing to help raise awareness for wildlife conservation.

• Making bottles: With three hungry joeys to feed we have a lot of bottles to wash and make up for their next feeds. We tend to make up 24 hours worth of bottles for each of them at one go which makes it easier to grab and bottle when its time for a feed (especially for that 2am feed).

• More feeds: Our joeys get their afternoon feeds at 2pm, 3pm and 5pm.

Afternoon & Evening Care 🌿

As the day winds down, we prepare the animals for a peaceful night.

• Evening Feedings: Yep, more bottles in the evening at 6pm and 7pm.

• Calm & Comfort: The joeys are tucked in with heat packs, older macropods settle in for the night, and the sanctuary begins to quieten.

• Sunset Walk: Sometimes, if time allows, I take a peaceful walk through the property to observe wild visitors and make sure the habitat is safe and thriving. I like to familiarize myself with the local birds and animals and spend some time bird watching.

• Night feedings: Our two oldest joeys have their last feeds for the day at 10pm and 11pm and then settle in their pouches for the night. Our pinkie gets a 10pm feed as well followed by a 2am feed before starting the day over with his 6am feed.

The Heart of the Job 💚

No two days are ever the same. Sometimes a new orphan arrives, sometimes we celebrate a new milestone leading to the opening of the sanctuary. There are stuggles and triumphs, but always a deep sense of purpose. Every cuddle, every hop, and every soft nudge reminds me why this work matters.

Being a wildlife carer isn’t just about feeding and cleaning—it’s about forming bonds, nurturing life, and protecting Australia’s precious animals.

If you ever wondered what it’s like behind the scenes at Sunset Creek, I hope this gives you a little insight into our world.