Milk Makers

Thirty years ago, a vet in Australia needed help. He’d been trying to save baby kangaroos and wombats, called joeys, that had been orphaned by their mothers. Like all baby mammals, these joeys needed milk to grow into strong, healthy adults. The vet fed the joeys a formula, or artificial milk, made from cow’s milk. But the formula made the joeys sick. The vet turned to biochemist Brian Rich for help.

Brian researched the exact chemical formulas for milk produced by kangaroo and wombat mothers. He found that different species of mammals produce very different milks. Since milks can be so different, they’re often not interchangeable. A baby kangaroo can’t fully digest milk made by a cow. So Brian started his own company, Wombaroo, to develop formulas for all kinds of mammals. That way orphaned mammal babies can get the nutrition they need to be healthy and grow properly.

Thirty years ago, a vet in Australia needed help. He'd been trying to save baby kangaroos and wombats. They're called joeys. They had been orphaned by their mothers. All baby mammals need milk to grow strong, healthy adults. These joeys were no different. The vet fed the joeys a formula. It was an artificial milk. It was made from cow's milk. But the formula made the joeys sick. The vet turned to biochemist Brian Rich for help.

Brian researched the exact chemical formulas for milk produced by kangaroo and wombat mothers. He found that different species of mammals produce very different milks. This means you can't use them in place of one another. A baby kangaroo can't fully digest milk made by a cow. So Brian started his own company. It's called Wombaroo. It develops formulas for all kinds of mammals. That way, orphaned mammal babies can get the nutrition they need. They can be healthy and grow properly.

Now, Brian runs Wombaroo with his son Gordon, a chemical engineer. They’ve developed milk formulas for dozens of species of mammals, from giraffes to house cats and even manatees!

Most of the raw materials the father-son team uses come from cow’s milk, because it is a source of dairy that’s easy to get. But luckily, scientists have broken down cow’s milk into individual ingredients, so Gordon and Brian use only what they need.

Now, Brian runs Wombaroo with his son Gordon. He is a chemical engineer. They've developed milk formulas for dozens of species of mammals. They include giraffes, house cats, and even manatees!

Most of the raw materials the Riches come from cow's milk. That's because it's easy to get. But luckily, scientists have broken down cow's milk into individual ingredients. So Gordon and Brian use only what they need.

“The real challenge occurs when an animal’s milk has a unique ingredient,” explains Gordon.

For example, elephant’s milk has fats in it that are not present in cow’s milk. The Riches had to find an ingredient that had the right fats. The best match: coconut oil! They blended it in with the other ingredients.

"The real challenge occurs when an animal's milk has a unique ingredient," explains Gordon. 

For example, elephant's milk has fats in it that are not in cow's milk. The Riches had to find an ingredient that had the right fats. Coconut oil worked best. They blended it in with the other ingredients.

Gordon’s favorite animals to work with are Australian natives, like kangaroos and koalas. Most of these mammals are marsupials. They raise their young inside a pouch.

“They are unique to our region and aren’t found anywhere else in the world,” he says. “If we don’t look after them, then who else will?”

Gordon's favorite animals to work with are Australian natives. Those include kangaroos and koalas. Most of these mammals are marsupials. They raise their young inside a pouch.

"They are unique to our region and aren't found anywhere else in the world," he says. "If we don't look after them, then who else will?"