Kangaroos and wallabies
It’s 10 minutes to 6 in the evening. Light is starting to fade. The air is sweet.
I am surrounded by that fantastic smell coming from up from the ground. It is called ‘petrichor’ - bacteria and plant oils mixing to create the amazingly heady aroma. I love it.
It’s autumn time in southern Australia and that means it’ll be dark in about half an hour.
The dogs and I have come out for a stroll before we lock down for the night. We are wandering along the fenceline checking the electric fence and making sure that the gates are shut. I haven’t been up the back for a while and sometimes a shooter (hunter) sneaks onto the property and forgets to shut the back gate.
We start heading back towards home. Down the hill I can see one of the night time visitors sitting upright watching us - a small grey kangaroo. I steer the dogs away hoping that they haven’t smelt her. I don’t need to intrude on her mealtime.
We veer away from the fence and head for the bush. A small detour to add interest to the walk home. Into the bracken fern.
Immediately the dogs become excited. Whipping around, noses to the ground. We have discovered some animal trials.
Betsy and Fred on an animal trail.
I wander along a tiny trail, zig zagging through the waist high foliage. The dogs vanish from sight. Just the rustle of plants around me now.
Then I nearly step in it …in front of me on the trail there is a pile of pooh (see photo).
I am confident that it is from a Macropod. ('Macropod’ is a term used to describe the marsupial family Macropodidae - big footed animals including kangaroos and wallabies).
I suspect it’s a wallaby. They like to live in a more closed-in sort of environment. They move close to the ground, ducking in and out of cover. I have seen a few over here dashing for the ferns when they see us. Sweet gentle creatures.
The wallabies seem to go under fences and through gaps. Head down and charge along.
They are loners, these wallabies. Prefer their own company and a peaceful life.
Exhibit A - Wallaby pooh
Out in the open paddocks is where I see the kangaroos. They prefer to be out in the open.
The big ones can easily jump the boundary fence more than a metre high.
They come onto the property when the feed is poor in the bush. Sometimes there will be 50, 60, 80 kangaroos all coming gradually out of the bush at dusk and across the country side.
I don’t mind. I’m happy to share the property with them. After all, they were here before me. I am the intruder.
The kangaroos are nearly always in groups, big family groups I presume.
Occasionally you see one big male kangaroo alone. Kicked out of the mob by another dominant male.
‘Roy’ is one of these fellas. He sometimes lives on my property. Drops in and and stays for a few weeks.
He seems to recognize us, me and the canine crew. He just watches. We keep our distance but if we get too close he moves on a bit. Not far, just far enough away.
I am pleased that he has chosen to stay here. “It is safe here and you are welcome...” I say.
Photo (taken by someone else) of kangaroos enjoying themselves in the sun