Wildlife! Yes!! Such an amazing variety in Australia ….

The beaches are stunning in North Queensland and the warm blue sea is a delight to swim in – in winter only.  In summer the Box Jellyfish make swimming there a very real danger – their sting is a lingering and painful way to die, the almost inevitable result. I won’t talk about these.

I don’t want to frighten people with stories of funnel web spiders or red-backs, which like to hide behind the garden shed, or in gardening boots and gloves. They are, of course, an alternative way to die, but survival is possible if one can get the anti-venom quickly enough. Snakes? Yes, the same. Avoid the Brown Snake at all costs, but don't worry too much about the Red-Bellied Black Snake - just leave it alone, and don't provoke it. Perhaps I won’t mention snakes either. Don't want to scare you!

Shark attacks? They are not too frequent but … all swimmers are on the lookout, as are the vigilant life-savers.

Burketown in North Queensland in the Gulf of Carpentaria area is at present going through its worst floods ever. When the residents return home after their evacuation, they will face not only the normal traumas of the aftermath of flooding, but they will need to be extra wary of crocodiles who are at the moment floating down the main streets. Crocodiles are quite common in the mangrove areas in the north, and warning signs are everywhere. One ignores them at one’s own risk. No, I won’t write a crocodile story!

We in Australia must know and respect our wild-life and be aware of not putting ourselves in danger. Children learn at an early age to take appropriate care, without becoming too fearful or neurotic.

In general, we feel safe – and are safe! 

“Nice” wildlife? All wildlife is, by definition, wild, but some species are better known and more widely accepted, and … kangaroos spring to mind! Literally. Anecdotes about kangaroos are plentiful.

Often affectionately nicknamed “Skippy”, they are truly “a wonder from Down Under”.

Everyone knows them – they’re impressively tall and strong, both mammals and marsupials, and carry their young in a pouch. They are mostly reddish-brown or grey, and use their tails (for balance) and long, powerful hind legs to hop enormous distances at great speeds.

That would be a fun and speedy way to go to school, wouldn’t it? Riding on the back of a kangaroo, or for smaller kids – in the pouch! Aussie kids do ride kangaroos to school, don’t they? No, they don’t. Never.

Kangaroos too are wild and should never be approached. They can kill if they feel threatened, punching and kicking with heavy blows - and they sometimes bite. Males will fight each other, even to death, to win a desired female. That’s why we make mascots (and cartoons), with kangaroos wearing boxing gloves – and treat live ones with due respect!

Do they really jump down the main streets in Australia? Well ... mostly, no, but occasionally yes. We live near a nature reserve. One day I was walking my dog in the local suburban park, and we were startled to see a kangaroo, over two metres in height, observing us from not too far away. I shortened the dog’s lead, and kept him close, so as not to alarm the kangaroo – but watched carefully to be sure he did not make a sudden attack. He had obviously escaped from the nature reserve – over a two-metre-high wire fence – and bounced his way down the main street … only in Australia!

The school where I taught was on acreage, adjacent to a different reserve heavily populated by kangaroos. At sunset they would often come onto the school property and bounce all over the playing fields. Their sports fields too. What games did they play? Their secret, and they’re not telling. The students had to be careful each day where they walked and played, as evidence of the kangaroos was plentiful! The roos generally rested in their bushland during the day.

Our classrooms were in clusters, four or five rooms opening off a shared central Library and Computer Learning Space, but each with another door to the outside gardens. One teacher was progressing slowly and listlessly through a rather uninspiring Maths lesson when there was a sudden interruption.

Right in the middle of the day, surprisingly, the class was visited by a wild kangaroo. Leaping in through the external door, the kangaroo looked around with sudden confusion, felt out of place with thirty pairs of very wide eyes watching, saw the open door into the library area, and made his way into the Learning Space. He then jumped out through the large double doors of the cluster. He realised that the lunch courtyard was not the way home – and finally found his way back to the playing fields and back into the nearby bush.

The students were rather startled, but had no time to feel afraid as the visit was so short. However, it was impossible for the teacher to get them back on track for the last ten minutes of the Maths lesson! Just a bit of excitement for the day, and something different to tell Mum and Dad after school that afternoon. Only in Australia!

One late summer afternoon at dusk, some other teachers and I were welcoming a busload of Japanese students visiting the school for a ten-day exchange program, with homestay. They were looking around in wonder at the spacious grounds.

One student looked up the hill and then pointed, exclaiming loudly. Imagine the delight when they all looked up to the playing fields – and saw dozens of kangaroos observing them! A welcoming committee! Only in Australia!

 Immediately, there was a bursting forth of excited Japanese chatter at this rare and very special privilege – even most Australians don’t have this experience. They were thrilled to see so many kangaroos on their very first day in Australia – and not even in a zoo. Their pleasure became ours as well.

At times, kangaroos hold up important events – like golf. At a nearby golf course, they come out to watch the games – but stand in the way. Golfers are a little perturbed, and feel obligated to wait before hitting a golf ball in their direction. Our national emblem! No-one would dare strike one with a golf-ball. Stand-offs follow, amidst great amusement. No amount of coaxing or shouting is effective. They move on when they are ready - when something else takes their interest. Only in Australia!

In general, we love and admire our kangaroos, and treat them with respect. However, they are not  pets. In most states of Australia, it is actually illegal to have a kangaroo as a pet, although under rare circumstances and with a special permit, a few states do allow a pet kangaroo. However, NO wildlife may be taken from the wild in any State, it must be obtained from a legal source: a wildlife breeder, wildlife park or zoo.

Kangaroos cannot be house-trained, and they usually do not co-exist well with other domestic animals. Kangaroos can become very stressed if confined. Australians recognize and accept the kangaroos’ need for living with space and total freedom in their own habitats.

In some country areas the kangaroo population has grown too much; they are considered a pest and they are culled, which all Aussies hate to see happen. We reluctantly accept its necessity at times for the sake of our farmers.

On the other hand, there are also kangaroo farms where they are raised for their meat which is very rich in iron and has no fat because they are such active creatures. Kangaroo meat is even used at fine dining restaurants. Skill is needed to cook this lean meat well. It does seem ironic that we occasionally eat our national emblem!  Yes, a contradiction - only in Australia!

Road signs in country areas warn drivers to beware of kangaroos, as they are, unfortunately, frequently killed on highways when they come out around the close of day, looking for either food or water. With the sun low and setting, sometimes it is difficult for drivers to see them in the increasing shadows – and kangaroos trying to cross a highway are a very real danger.

Swerving to avoid a kangaroo can be equally risky if there is other traffic nearby. My niece’s husband hit a kangaroo at speed while travelling interstate with his young family in December. The car was a write-off, but no-one was badly hurt, just severely shaken by the experience. The kangaroo was instantly killed. It’s an unnerving and unsettling experience.

Sometimes it is worse if they are injured – in that situation, they are best handled by wildlife rescuers, who also check the pouch for offspring, and these wonderful people offer free medical treatment.  The kangaroos are then cared for by trained volunteers until they have been rehabilitated and are ready to return to the wild.

Strangely and uncharacteristically, many kangaroos, as well as other wildlife, did recognize when inexperienced humans came to their rescue during recent bushfires and floods, and did not display either fear or aggression. Sometimes animals know instinctively they can trust certain people. Many of these traumatised kangaroos were treated and nursed back to health as well, and then released back into their natural environments. Good news amidst all the other heartbreaking stories during those extreme times.

Of course, there’s so much more to learn about kangaroos, so let’s have some fun - here’s a quiz to enjoy! Start googling if you don’t know these ….

1. What is a baby kangaroo called?
2. What is its size at birth?
3. How long does it live in the mother’s pouch?
4. How fast can a kangaroo travel?
5. What is the diet of a kangaroo?
6. What are the four main kangaroo groupings?
7. What is the average weight of a kangaroo?
8. What is its average lifespan?
9. How far can they leap in a single bound?
10. What terms are given to groups of kangaroos?

And finally, do you know what sport is played, with our team-name “Australian Kangaroos”?

Hope you enjoyed - I’ll post the answers in a subsequent short piece!

“Skippy, Skippy, Skippy the bush kangaroo …”, as the song goes - sends greetings to all readers, wherever you are in the world, from Australia!