NATIONAL ANIMAL OF AUSTRALIA

Red Kangaroo

The official animal of Australia is the red Kangaroo, which may not be necessarily red. The official bird of Australia is the Emu. Both these animals appear on the Australian Coat of Arms, which is embellished with Golden Wattle - the official floral symbol of Australia. Why a Kanagaroo and an Emu? Common theory has it that the Kangaroo and the Emu are not particulary good at walking backwards, so they are symbolic of Australia's determination to move forward as a nation. Each State and Territory of Australia also have an animal, bird and floral symbol. 

These are popular with visitors to the Sanctuary, especially tourists from overseas who have never seen a kangaroo up close.

Red Kangaroos are classed as ‘least concern’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (on the IUCN ‘red list’). Although the species is not considered to be endangered, individual animals are at risk, particularly from dog attacks, natural disasters and motor vehicles. They are among the more than 2,000 sick and

injured native animals treated each year at the Sanctuary’s Australian Wildlife Health Centre.

Meeting the Red Kangaroos at Healesville Sanctuary is an important way to connect with the animals of Australia, and to learn about the Sanctuary’s conservation programs, especially those aimed at conserving threatened native species. The money you spend helps to support the Sanctuary’s conservation programs and its care of native wildlife, and helps fight species extinction.

Red Kangaroos are semi-nomadic and can be found across most areas of Central Australia. They show a preference for open plains where shade trees are available such as Mulga and Mallee Shrub. They feed on grasses and other small plants, mostly at night, but also in the early morning and late evening. Although Red Kangaroos are considered common, their numbers can drop in times of drought. During these times they may have to compete with sheep and cattle for food and fall prey to Dingoes as rabbit populations decline.

Red Kangaroos breed all year round. Females give birth to a single jelly bean-sized ‘joey’, around 33 days after mating, which will climb up its mother’s belly and into the pouch where it begins to suckle from one of the teats. It remains attached and the milk changes to meet its needs as it grows. At about 6 months old, the joey begins to leave the pouch for short periods, when the mother will usually give birth again. The joeys are permanently out of the pouch at about 8 months of age and normally weaned by around 12 months but can continue to suckle for up to 18 months.

Kangaroos possess powerful hind legs, a long, strong tail, and small front legs. Kangaroos belong to the animal family Macropus, literally "big foot." Thanks to their large feet, kangaroos can leap some 30 feet (9 meters) in a single bound, and travel more than 30 miles (48 kilometers) per hour . Kangaroos use their strong tails for balance while jumping. They are the tallest of all marsupials, standing over 6 feet (2 meters) tall.

Kangaroos live in Eastern Australia. They live in small groups called troops or herds (“mobs” by Australians), typically made up of 50 or more animals. If threatened, kangaroos pound the ground with their strong feet in warning. Fighting kangaroos kick opponents, and sometimes bite. 

Female kangaroos sport a pouch on their belly, made by a fold in the skin, to cradle baby kangaroos called joeys. Newborn joeys are just one inch long (2.5 centimeters) at birth, or about the size of a grape. After birth, joeys travel, unassisted, through their mom’s thick fur to the comfort and safety of the pouch. A newborn joey can’t suckle or swallow, so the kangaroo mom uses her muscles to pump milk down its throat. At around 4 months, the joey emerges from the pouch for short trips and to graze on grass and small shrubs. At 10 months, the joey is mature enough to leave the pouch for good. 

Besides humans and wild dogs called dingoes, kangaroos face few natural predators. Heat, drought, and hunger due to vanishing habitat are the biggest dangers kangaroos face.

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