Meet the Residents: Eve’s Story – From Heartbreak to Hope

Meet the residents of Sunset Creek - this is Eve

Eve will always hold a soft place in my heart. Only a short month after we moved into the property that was to be called Sunset Creek, Eve arrived on our doorstep... almost literally. Her mother was killed by a truck speeding down our quiet country road and was killed instantly. The driver had no idea that there was life inside her pouch.

Her mother lay dead in our driveway and fortunately we found her fairly quickly. Eve was poking out of mother's pouch wondering what had changed. She was still warm and thankfully, uninjured.

Without a second thought we rescued her and began to care for her at our Sanctuary which was still close to a year off opening. We hadn't planned on taking rescues until the macropod nursery was build and we were getting ready for visitors but Eve's story couldn't wait till then.

She was so tiny and was just starting to get her first velvety fur. She cried her little kangaroo cry quite a lot during those first few weeks but would settle quickly with a gentle pat or a cuddle in her pouch.

Feeding was very difficult in those first few days as she didn't recognise that a bottle was now her food source. The teat was unfamiliar and the milk smelt different. But with gentle encouragement she soon learnt that this was her sustenance and after a few days in care she began to eagerly take to the bottle at feeding time.

We marked that day with quiet celebration, knowing how much strength it took for her to reach even that small milestone.

As the weeks went by, Eve began to grow. Her fur became thicker. We watched her take her first wobbly steps outside the pouch. We cheered as she attempted her first hops. We sympathized when she fell.

It was such a joy watching each and every moment of her growing and developing, knowing that without the rescue her life would have ended in the pouch.

We watched her do zoomies in the yard, practicing her skills and strengthening her body for life in the wild. We loved how she followed us around as we did things around the sanctuary.

As we continued to work on getting the sanctuary up and running more joeys arrived at the sanctuary. Eve was our little pioneer. She was very curious about these new little creatures and her presence brought comfort to them.

She was especially sweet with the smaller ones—offering silent companionship to anxious newcomers like Esther and Rachel. We often found her resting with them, touching noses or sharing her space. It was like she knew what they were feeling. She had been there, too.

Now, Eve is strong and thriving. She has been with us for almost 8 months and the time is nearing when she won't need us anymore. She spends most of her days outside the pouch, basking in the sun, nibbling grass, and bounding around with grace and confidence. She still returns for her bottle several times a day—but we know her time with us is drawing to a close.

Come spring, if all continues to go well, Eve will be ready for soft release—a slow and supported return to the wild she came from. It’s a moment that brings both joy and tears, but one we prepare for from the very beginning.

A sweet joey - life in pictures

Why We Do What We Do

Eve’s story is just one of many—but she reminds us daily why we pour our hearts into this work. With love, care, and time, broken stories can become beautiful again.

Thank you for supporting Sunset Creek and helping us give joeys like Eve a second chance.