Sunday, April 29, 2012

Isn't she lovely ?

G'day. Over Easter while hubby and I were in South Australia at a car club get together, we had the chance to visit a farmers market that was being held in a nearby town to where we were staying and in the local hall there was a "display" from a nearby wildlife centre. This beautiful kangaroo was part of their menagerie that they had bought with them. I don't think that I asked the name of this lovely lass, which was very remiss of me.

They had been looking after this animal for quite some time and I was told that she will never be released back into the wild as she wouldn't be able to fend for herself now. She has been hand reared from when she was a young joey. Her mother had been killed after being hit by a car and luckily for this little one, she had been found in her mothers pouch. She is what is known as a Red Kangaroo, despite her being gray in color. Female Red's are typically a grey/blue color and can weigh anywhere up to 40kg when full grown.

Many years ago I had some friends that had saved a young Kangaroo after it's mothers had died and that one was a Eastern Grey and he was a big boy. He would balance himself on his massive tail and his height was impressive. Hubby was away working at the time and I was invited to their home for tea one night and the kangaroo was allowed the run of the house and the land they were on, needless to say I was madly in love with him as he was very tame and well mannered, but I was also aware that he was a massive animal and those claws are very sharp and that huge tail can give a mighty thump to you when he was just hopping around. Sadly, after having him for a lot of years, they had to give him to a wildlife park because of a forced house move and they wouldn't have the land he needed to wander around on. I know it broke their hearts to part with him. They are an amazing and beautiful animal. Take care. Liz...

8 comments:

  1. wonderful critter. loved this post.

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    1. G'day Lo. I appreciate you comments. Take care. Liz...

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  2. You're making me so homesick Liz. Beautiful post. Smiles - Astrid.

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    1. G'day Astrid. Thanks for that. I have a real soft spot for our beautiful kangaroos and our other wildlife. I sometimes wish I had chosen a life working with animals. Take care. Liz...

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  3. She is lovely. I love the tale of the Eastern Gray, too. One of my friends in college, told about his grandparents in Africa raising a gorilla. When they returned to the U.S., they brought the gorilla to the San Diego Zoo. Every time Grandma would visit him in the zoo, he was both happy and sad. Sad because he couldn't get to Grandma, his Mother.

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    1. G'day Jan. Thanks for your comment. Yes, I can imagine it would have been hard for your friends grandparents to part with the gorilla. I am not sure if I would have ther heart to do that, but I know that sometimes circumstances intervene and it has to be done. Take care. Liz...

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  4. Oh, Liz, what a beautiful animal. I hope one day to get to see some for myself!

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    1. G'day Broad. Yes, they are beautiful animals. I do so hope you get to come "down under" and see our beautiful wildlife. Take care. Liz...

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