At first glance, Mike and Deirdre Phelps’ small Kelso farmstead looks just like any other with chickens, ducks, goats and a few dogs wandering around.
That is, until you see a couple of kangaroos bouncing about.
“We know it’s a little unique,” Mike Phelps said.
The Phelps started raising kangaroos about 10 years ago after seeing them up close. The couple toured and interacted with wallabies and kangaroos at Fall City Wallaby Ranch about two hours northeast, and decided they wanted one as well.
Fall City Wallaby Ranch owner Rex Paperd said that after raising a primate, raising a kangaroo is the closest thing to raising a child. And for a couple who decided that they didn’t want children, this sounded perfect.
Mike Phelps is used to taking care of others. In August, the Kalama School District announced Phelps is the new head football coach, after serving as the district’s assistant coach for six years and coaching, overall, for 18 years.
The Phelps are now raising their fourth and fifth kangaroos: Kaaloha and Gracie, both red females. They have the same mother, but about three years apart in age.
The two macropods are housed in a wooden shed outfitted with heat lamps and a space heater for the colder months. The Phelps built a 6-foot-tall fence around the kangaroos’ enclosure to prevent them from jumping out and to deter predators.
They are fed orchard grass and pellets along with the occasional snack of almonds and Triscuit crackers.
In the wild, intact males can grow over 6 feet tall and weigh up to 230 pounds. They can bound up to 30 feet within one jump and run 35 mph.
But, they aren’t as brave as they look.
“Kangaroos are startled very easily,” said Mike Phelps.
They are scared of loud noises and fast movements, so the Phelps keep their lawn mower in their pen so they can get used to its presence.
With that being said, the Phelps’ kangaroos are also friendly.
The joeys are weaned at 7 months, and at that point, the Phelps bring them home to fully care for the small marsupial. They even have a cloth pouch that emulates the pouch of a mother kangaroo.
Eventually, the couple starts to bring people around to introduce the kangaroos to human scent and mannerisms. They depend on their ears and nose to make up for their bad vision.
“A kangaroo will be able to recognize a person by their scent just within three times of meeting them,” said Mike Phelps.
Phelps said the couple want to give people the chance to learn about the species, often bringing people over to meet them.
“I want people to understand that there is a lot of responsibility with raising kangaroos,” said Mike Phelps. “They are expensive when buying from a reputable dealer and finding vet care is not easy.”
