Kangaroo Dundee: I gave it all up to become a 'kangaroo mum'

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Chris Barns, known as Brolga, is a kangaroo "mum" - he rescues orphaned baby kangaroos, or joeys, who he carries around in a pillowcase to mimic their mum’s pouch. While working as a tour guide in the outback, Brolga would always check the pouches of kangaroos killed by cars lying on the side of the road, where often the joeys would still be alive. The plan was to look after them until they could be released back into the wild, but sometimes they had been injured and couldn't outrun dingoes or bush fires. So Brolga gave up his job to create a sanctuary for them in Alice Springs. After spending all of his money building a giant dingo-proof fence, he ended up living in a tin shack on site, without electricity or a toilet, sharing his bed with joeys. But then he starred in a BBC documentary series called Kangaroo Dundee. The title was a play on the hit comedy film Crocodile Dundee, about a man from the outback who wows everyone in the big city. Brolga's TV appearance wowed too - much to his surprise, he received hundreds of emails from female fans, who were unaware that he had a brand-new girlfriend (now his wife). The show guaranteed the Kangaroo Sanctuary's survival, and Brolga was able to dedicate all his time to mothering orphaned joeys. One of his first rescues, an alpha male called Roger, became an internet sensation for always trying to attack his "mum", who he now saw as a rival. And recently some of Brolga's joeys starred in a family film called Kangaroo, inspired by his life. Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Vibeke Venema Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707