In order to keep their balance, kangaroos have very strong hind legs, a long and strong tail for balance, and small front legs. Their name is Macropus, which means “Bigfoot.” They are part of the animal family. A kangaroo can jump 30 feet in a single bound and hop for more than 30 miles per hour. This is because they have very big feet.
Kangaroos usually live in the eastern part of Australia. People in Australia talk about them as troops, herds, or “mobs,” which are small groups of animals that live together. They usually have 50 or more animals in each group. Warning: These strong feet pound the ground when they sense danger. They do this to show that they’re not afraid. The species of kangaroos that fight may kick and bite their opponents, and sometimes they may even bite.
They have pouches on their bellies made by a fold in their skin that they use to rock their babies, which are called joeys. Joeys are only one inch long when they’re born. They’re the same size as grapes. It doesn’t take long for a joey to walk alone through his mother’s fur to reach his mother’s pouch. It’s hard for a newborn joey to eat, so the kangaroo mom pumps milk down its throat with her body.
When the joey is 4 months old, it comes out of its pouch and lies down to eat grass and small shrubs. There are 10 months left to grow up. The joey is ready to leave the pouch for good now.
When a five-month-old kangaroo named Abigail was found, she was rescued and taken to an animal sanctuary called Alice Springs in Central Australia. She is now living there. Almost fifteen years have passed since then, and now she is the “Queen of Sanctuary.”
Image Credit & More Info: Kangaroo Sanctuary Alice Springs | Facebook | Instagram
