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"Skippy wants his zinger box": Kangaroo bounces into KFC

<p>Roos hungry? </p> <p>It's not every day you walk into a fast food store to see Australia's national animal hopping around, but that's exactly what happened at a KFC in Western Australia. </p> <p>One man captured the animal making a bounce-by at a KFC in Busselton, WA on Sunday. Filmed from the car park, the man captured the young roo through the store window as it hopped around tables, with a few customers unbothered by the not-so-average customer. </p> <p>A follow-up clip showed the roo finally escaping through the door before bouncing across the car park to freedom. </p> <p>A KFC spokesperson confirmed that no one was hurt in the incident to <em>Yahoo News Australia</em> saying: "After roaming the restaurant for a bit, it then decided it was time to bounce. We can confirm no customers, team members or marsupials were injured as a result."</p> <p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 552px; max-width: 100%; color: #323338; font-family: Figtree, Roboto, 'Noto Sans Hebrew', 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7415551078130846984&amp;display_name=tiktok&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40torriebolton%2Fvideo%2F7415551078130846984%3Fembed_source%3D121374463%252C121451205%252C121439635%252C121433650%252C121404359%252C121351166%252C72778571%252C121331973%252C120811592%252C120810756%253Bnull%253Bembed_masking%26refer%3Dembed%26referer_url%3Dau.news.yahoo.com%252Fkangaroo-seen-bouncing-around-kfc-store-as-customer-eats-thats-australia-for-ya-231742682.html%26referer_video_id%3D7415551078130846984&amp;image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign-sg.tiktokcdn.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-alisg-p-0037%2FosMEHCJdBDV6acepD6FXgMIERAtDATAfEsBmtV%3Flk3s%3Db59d6b55%26x-expires%3D1726884000%26x-signature%3Dzb8SyBxQ7JP5vW2fa6KOG9yzJFA%253D%26shp%3Db59d6b55%26shcp%3D-&amp;key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>The incident caught the attention of social media users from overseas, with one writing: "That is the most Australian thing I've ever seen come from Australia."</p> <p>"That's Australia for ya," another agreed. </p> <p>"Skippy wants his zinger box," another joked. </p> <p>"Bro was sitting there like it's normal," another added, confused by how calm the customers inside the KFC were. </p> <p>"Imagine if it left with a twelve piece box" another added. </p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Family & Pets

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"Skippy ain't playing": Urban kangaroo stuns with epic leap

<p>A landscaper has captured the moment a hopping mad kangaroo leapt metres into the air and over a fence. </p> <p>Nathan Xuebsy was at work with his colleagues in the town of Beveridge, 37 kilometres north of Melbourne's CBD, when they were confronted with the bounding kangaroo. </p> <p>The marsupial jumped past their bobcat and into a vacant lot, when the workers opened a gate to the fenced-off area to help let the animal out, but the kangaroo had its own escape plan. </p> <p>The kangaroo jumped onto the fence and then used it to vault metres higher to clear it, stunning Xuebsy, who filmed the whole thing.</p> <p>The trio of workers immediately went to check on the kangaroo, who was uninjured and hopped away unfazed. </p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A9vjuJ1xmbI?si=jUe2vJC_7WiK8Yxo" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>"I took a screenshot of the video when the kangaroo was at its highest," Xuebsy said. "I put it on Facebook and said I think I just took the best photo I ever will in my life."</p> <p>The video quickly went viral, raking up thousands of hilarious comments as one person wrote that the roo was going "Straight to the next Olympics", while another added, "Oh, Skippy ain't playing."</p> <p>Another person said, "Poor suburban roo looks like that ain't his first rodeo," while others said the roo was showing off his dance moves with the jump saying "Roo did a better job than RayGun."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook / Nathan Xuebsy</em></p>

Family & Pets

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"Roo-jitsu": Former cop fends off 2m-tall kangaroo trying to drown his dog

<p>In an unusual and somewhat comical turn of events, a former Victorian police officer, Mick Moloney, recently found himself in a rather unexpected altercation with a kangaroo while out walking his dogs near the Murray River.</p> <p>The story, as bizarre as it sounds, unfolded last Sunday when Moloney's peaceful stroll took a dramatic twist, involving an agitated kangaroo, one of his beloved dogs, and an heroic rescue mission.</p> <p>Moloney, a resident of Mildura, was no stranger to the area and had often enjoyed leisurely walks along the scenic Murray River with his canine companions. On this particular day, his dogs were noticeably quieter than usual as they strolled by the water's edge. It wasn't until "Hutchy", one of Moloney's dogs, went missing that he began to sense something was amiss.</p> <p>Describing his dogs as "always in the water," the former policeman began to suspect that the tranquil riverbanks might be harbouring an unexpected visitor. And his suspicions were soon confirmed when he laid eyes on an agitated kangaroo standing in the river, his arms submerged, and his gaze locked onto Moloney.</p> <p>What unfolded next was an extraordinary encounter between man and marsupial, captured on camera and later shared widely online. In the video, Moloney can be heard demanding that the kangaroo release Hutchy from its grip.</p> <p>Despite attempts to scare the kangaroo away, the situation escalated as the roo retaliated by striking Moloney and sending his phone plunging into the water. This unexpected punch-up left Moloney with a few scratches and a sore forearm, but both he and Hutchy ultimately made it safely to the riverbank.</p> <p>Moloney <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@the.tiser/video/7290318689390300417" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared the video </a>on his Facebook page, where it quickly went viral, garnering hundreds of shares and reactions. The bizarre incident even led to some humorous commentary, with people joking about "roo-jitsu" and the unexpected martial arts showdown with the kangaroo.</p> <p>Moloney, who is a mixed martial arts and Brazilian jiu-jitsu teacher, emphasised that he did not intend to be cruel to the kangaroo, highlighting his love for animals. Despite the unexpected turn of events, he expressed that he has no plans to change his walking route along the river, suggesting that he and his dogs will continue using their favourite walking spot.</p> <p>As Moloney playfully put it, "My tussling with roo days are pretty much done though, cause that thing was strong. Let's just call it a draw." The bizarre incident serves as a reminder that encounters with wildlife can take unexpected turns, even in the most picturesque of settings, and that sometimes, a little humour can help us cope with life's quirks and oddities.</p> <p><em>Images: Tiktok</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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5 things to enjoy on Kangaroo Island

<p>There’s plenty to love in this South Australian gem. Here are just five things you can enjoy on a visit to Kangaroo Island.</p> <p><strong>1. Eat, drink and be merry</strong></p> <p>Kangaroo Island might only be tiny, but it’s absolutely stuffed with gourmet food and top notch wine. Take the Kangaroo Island Farm Gate and Cellar Door Trail to discover farm gates, artisan producers, wineries and breweries. Don’t miss unique Ligurian honey, fresh oysters and marron, chocolate lavender fudge, sheep’s milk cheese and rich olive oil.</p> <p><strong>2. Walk with the animals</strong></p> <p>As the name suggests, you’ll find lots of kangaroos on Kangaroo Island – western greys to be precise. But that’s just the beginning. Walk among a colony of around 1,000 Australian sea lions (one of the rarest species in the world) at Seal Bay. Little penguins will start waddling along the shore from April and glossy black cockatoos will be nesting above. Look out for shy echidnas, sleepy koalas and the tiny rabbit-sized Tamar wallaby.</p> <p><strong>3. Head out onto the water</strong></p> <p>As soon as you arrive on Kangaroo Island, you’re going to want to get right off it again and back out into the water. Take an ocean safari to spot seals, sea lions and dolphins – you can even jump off and snorkel among them. Fishing charters will head out into the deeper waters off the coast in search of King George whiting, snapper, trevally, tuna and more. If you’re a surfer, you’ll fall in love with the uncrowded breaks of the island’s five main surf spots. There’s something for all levels of experience.</p> <p><strong>4. Get your heart racing</strong></p> <p>There are a lot of adventure to be had on Kangaroo Island. Jump on a quad bike to explore inaccessible parts of the island, climb the dunes of the Little Sahara for some sandboarding or explore incredible natural underground formations with a canyoning and caving expedition. For something a little more sedate, there are plenty of walking and hiking trails winding through the island.</p> <p><strong>5. Indulge in a luxury lodge</strong></p> <p>One of the most luxurious hotels in Australia (and in the world) is tucked away on the southwestern shore of the island atop dramatic ocean cliffs. Southern Ocean Lodge has just 21 rooms with lavish interiors, bespoke furniture and sweeping views. The restaurant serves up exceptional ‘paddock to plate’ cuisine and the award-winning spa will have you floating on a cloud.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram / Shutterstock</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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“Such intimacy is rare in everyday life”: The benefits of playing music can’t be understated

<p dir="ltr">Whether you’re driving in the car, riding in a lift, or attending a concert, music is everywhere. For many, our involvement in creating music stopped outside of high school music classes and attempts to learn the recorder, keyboard, guitar, or to sing.</p> <p dir="ltr">Or it might have included playing in the school band, taking music lessons as a child, or maybe even continuing to play at university.</p> <p dir="ltr">But playing music is something that often falls to the wayside as we get older, with the demands of work, home and family taking priority.</p> <p dir="ltr">Given that playing music has benefits for our mental health, including easing anxiety and depression, feelings of satisfaction with life and health, and even reduced alexithymia - a dysfunction affecting emotional awareness, social attachment and how we relate to others - it’s an activity that many of us can reap benefits from.</p> <p dir="ltr">For Stephen O’Doherty, the conductor and musical director of Golden Kangaroos Concert Band, music has been an outlet for expressing himself creatively and maintaining his wellbeing - and he has seen similar effects in many of the players he works and plays with.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Having outlets to express myself creatively through musical performance has been absolutely essential in maintaining my wellbeing and having a stable quality of life,” he tells OverSixty.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The (Golden Kangaroos) have many members who have joined later in life. For some it is a chance to take up the same opportunity they gave their children, encouraging them to learn music at school and wishing they could have done the same. </p> <p dir="ltr">“For others it is the idea that playing music will help them to keep their brains active as they enter later life. For others, or perhaps for all of the above, joining a community band is a way of finding their tribe, their people, a safe place where people of a like mind can learn, grow, and contribute together. </p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-fabcb08c-7fff-1eb6-5df0-bb5fac8b7edd"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“Knowing the many life stories of our members, I can say with absolute alacrity that band contributes to their identity and self-fulfilment in ways that may never be explicitly known but are formative and extremely significant.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/12/gks0.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr">With the benefits of playing music established, taking music into a community environment brings with it additional benefits to our wellbeing. In a study <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1163211.pdf">published</a> in the London Review of Education, Dr Debra Rodgers, whose PhD focused on community music and mental health-related stigma, argued that community music can be beneficial in helping both to distract participants from their personal worries and as a place where they can interact without fear or judgement.</p> <p dir="ltr">O’Doherty agrees, adding that playing in a group is a way for many to truly be themselves.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We know that learning music has beneficial effects intellectually and emotionally. Learning or performing with others adds a social dimension that, I think, is critically important,” he says.</p> <p dir="ltr">“At its best, playing in a well-run musical group helps us to express our emotions in a safe and structured way, and that is good for the soul. We are part of something bigger than ourselves and, when we play for an audience, we are (hopefully) gifting them a great experience. Enriching others also enriches us.</p> <p dir="ltr">“For many, band is the place where they are most fulfilled. Where their contribution matters. Where they will be missed if absent. Where they are safe when expressing their creativity.</p> <p dir="ltr">“To play music alone is good. It is personally satisfying and should not be underrated. But to play with others and achieve a pleasing outcome for an audience is a whole new level. It both fosters and requires a level of interpersonal communication between performers that is beyond words.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-e143aaae-7fff-6987-5ac0-405baa4ff163"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“Such intimacy is rare in everyday life. It enriches the human experience in a unique and very special way.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/12/gks2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr">For O’Doherty, playing music has had added benefits when it comes to his own mental health, including managing the symptoms of depression.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Depression is a serious and debilitating condition which, untreated, will attack our self-worth and seriously affect our quality of life. I have lived with this condition for my entire life,” he explains.</p> <p dir="ltr">“... if I can’t perform music I am not being fully me. I am somehow less than whole. Music is a way I find wholeness, an acceptance of who I am and of what I can contribute to the world around me. </p> <p dir="ltr">“When a black mood sets in and starts attacking my self-worth, playing music is one of the few things that can restore me, and I find joy and purpose in seeing the beneficial impact on the members of our group.”</p> <p dir="ltr">As for those who may have played music in the past or have always wanted to learn, O’Doherty suggests finding a safe place to give it a go.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Many people go through the stage of leaving their earlier musical learning behind. After school or Uni life gets busy!” he says.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I want to encourage people however to think about this: when you were the best version of yourself, was performing music part of the equation?</p> <p dir="ltr">If the answer is yes (or even maybe) then do you not owe it to yourself and your loved ones to return? And if you’ve not yet tried to learn an instrument but have a yearning desire to express your creative instincts in this way, what do you have to lose? </p> <p dir="ltr">“Find a safe place to explore your interest and give it a go! Creative expression is part of what it is to be truly human. Perhaps music is your pathway to a more fulsome life.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-809fc7b0-7fff-8434-37d7-a78b2cd98287"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Stuart Coster (Supplied)</em></p>

Mind

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Qantas, the trying kangaroo: why things won’t get better any time soon

<p>Unlike many airlines, Australia’s flag carrier Qantas has survived the pandemic. But its return to normal service – and profitability – is proving to be a bumpy ride. It could well get worse before it gets better.</p> <p>As domestic and international travel picks up, the airline is struggling to keep up – having laid off thousands of staff whose experience, it turns out, was quite valuable for running such a complex business. Cancelled flights, lost luggage, long delays at airports and low staff morale are pummelling its carefully cultivated reputation.</p> <p>Qantas engineers <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-25/qantas-engineers-strike-safety-annual-profit-result/101368062" target="_blank" rel="noopener">took industrial action</a> last month. This week there’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-05/qantas-staff-far-airlines-reputation-at-risk/101391324" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a strike by baggage handlers</a> employed by the contractor used since the airline retrenched almost 2,000 ground crew workers in 2020. (The Fair Work Commission has since ruled this outsourcing <a href="https://australianaviation.com.au/2022/05/qantas-loses-bid-to-overturn-illegal-outsourcing-ruling/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was unlawful</a>.)</p> <p>Former staff have told the ABC’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-05/qantas-staff-far-airlines-reputation-at-risk/101391324" target="_blank" rel="noopener">4 Corners program</a> they fear the cutbacks will undermine the airline’s safety record.</p> <p>There is no quick or easy fix. These issues are tied to the airline’s profitability – or lack of it. Last financial year it reported an underlying loss before tax of <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/2281/q899.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A$1.89 billion</a>. Since 2020, total losses have been A$7 billion, with the shutdown of travel costing about <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-24/qantas-announces-share-buy-back-as-air-travel-demand-surges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A$25 billion in revenue</a>, according to chief executive Alan Joyce.</p> <h2>A challenging industry</h2> <p>Qantas is by no means alone when it comes to the challenges of rebuilding after COVID. Even <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/travel-logistics-and-infrastructure/our-insights/the-six-secrets-of-profitable-airlines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in normal times</a>, airlines are notoriously hard businesses to keep in the black.</p> <p>The products they sell – seats – are highly perishable. Once a flight takes off, any empty seat becomes worthless. It is tempting to fill seats by discounting, but this can lead to competitors doing the same, and create a perception that leads customers to undervalue the product.</p> <p>There’s a reason so many national carriers are fully or partly <a href="https://gulfbusiness.com/gulf-carriers-spotlight-eu-addresses-unfair-airline-competition/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">government-owned</a> – including Air New Zealand, Emirates, Etihad, Garuda Indonesia, Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines.</p> <p>It’s debatable how many of these airlines would be viable as standalone commercial operations. An airline regulated by a government with a vested interest in its prosperity may be assisted in a variety of ways, from bailouts and tax subsidies to policies that help protect it from competition on domestic routes.</p> <h2>How to cut costs?</h2> <p>Adding to these difficulties in 2022 are fuel prices, inflated since Russia invaded Ukraine in February. Fuel costs typically account for about a <a href="https://www.iata.org/en/iata-repository/pressroom/fact-sheets/fact-sheet---fuel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quarter of airline costs</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://simpleflying.com/what-is-fuel-hedging-and-why-do-airlines-do-it/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hedging contracts</a> have protected Qantas from the full impact of these increases. Like other airlines, it has few options to cut fuel costs besides cutting routes or buying more fuel-efficient aircraft. (It is buying 12 new Airbus planes, but with the plan to offer long-haul flights without stopovers, which will <a href="https://theconversation.com/bucking-the-trend-is-there-a-future-for-ultra-long-haul-flights-in-a-net-zero-carbon-world-183212" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increase fuel consumption</a>.)</p> <p>So cutting staff costs has become the default option.</p> <p>Qantas has never shied away from this under Joyce, who was appointed chief executive in 2008.</p> <p>In 2011 he notoriously <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-29/qantas-locking-out-staff/3608250" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grounded the fleet</a> and locked out staff during “hardball” collective bargaining with three unions (the Australian and International Pilots Association, Australian Licenced Aircraft Engineers Association, and Transport Workers Union).</p> <p>But this combative stance on wages and conditions, and outsourcing so many key activities, has thinned corporate knowledge. Qantas’ problems with <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/brisbane-man-bag-destroyed-by-qantas-still-waiting-for-airline-to-resolve-his-2000-dollar-claim/2fdf9865-7350-4735-bc1a-b02201a3a7eb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost luggage</a> are clearly linked to sacking so many experienced staff and replacing them with contract workers who don’t necessarily understand how the airline’s <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/42e15d6d-bc05-4a5b-af16-c8c7f72af0fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">complex systems work</a>.</p> <h2>A difficult outlook</h2> <p>It’s easy to look for scapegoats – there are mounting calls for Joyce to go, for example – but there are no easy solutions to the problems Qantas faces.</p> <p>In the short term it must to balance the cost-cutting required with the reality that further aggravating its workforce will lower customer service – and ultimately its reputation.</p> <p>Domestically it has the advantage of its major competitor, Virgin Australia, being in an even worse position. Virgin only survived the pandemic by being sold to US private equity giant Bain Capital. This should save Qantas from a domestic discounting war for the foreseeable future.</p> <p>But even with subdued domestic competition, the airline industry remains unattractive. For the flying kangaroo, the path back to profitability looks set to be one of many ups and downs.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/qantas-the-trying-kangaroo-why-things-wont-get-better-any-time-soon-189558" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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This giant kangaroo once roamed New Guinea – descended from an Australian ancestor that migrated millions of years ago

<p>Long ago, almost up until the end of the last ice age, a peculiar giant kangaroo roamed the mountainous rainforests of New Guinea.</p> <p>Now, research to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03721426.2022.2086518" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> on Thursday by myself and colleagues suggests this kangaroo was not closely related to modern Australian kangaroos. Rather, it represents a previously unknown type of primitive kangaroo unique to New Guinea.</p> <p><strong>The age of megafauna</strong></p> <p>Australia used to be home to all manner of giant animals called megafauna, until most of them went extinct about 40,000 years ago. These megafauna lived alongside animals we now consider characteristic of the Australian bush – kangaroos, koalas, crocodiles and the like – but many were larger species of these.</p> <p>There were giant wombats called <em>Phascolonus</em>, 2.5-metre-tall short-faced kangaroos, and the 3-tonne <em>Diprotodon optatum</em> (the largest marsupial ever). In fact, some Australian megafaunal species, such as the red kangaroo, emu and cassowary, survive through to the modern day.</p> <p>The fossil megafauna of New Guinea are considerably less well-studied than those of Australia. But despite being shrouded in mystery, New Guinea’s fossil record has given us hints of fascinating and unusual animals whose evolutionary stories are entwined with Australia’s.</p> <p>Palaeontologists have done sporadic expeditions and fossil digs in New Guinea, including digs by American and Australian researchers in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s.</p> <p>It was during an archaeological excavation in the early 1970s, led by Mary-Jane Mountain, that two jaws of an extinct giant kangaroo were unearthed. A young researcher (now professor) named Tim Flannery called the species <em>Protemnodon nombe</em>.</p> <p>The fossils Flannery described are about 20,000–50,000 years old. They come from the Nombe Rockshelter, an archaeological and palaeontological site in the mountains of central Papua New Guinea. This site also delivered fossils of another kangaroo and giant four-legged marsupials called diprotodontids.</p> <p><strong>An unexpected discovery</strong></p> <p>Flinders University Professor Gavin Prideaux and I recently re-examined the fossils of <em>Protemnodon nombe</em> and found something unexpected. This strange kangaroo was not a species of the genus <em>Protemnodon</em>, which used to live all over Australia, from the Kimberley to Tasmania. It was something a lot more primitive and unknown.</p> <p>In particular, its unusual molars with curved enamel crests set it apart from all other known kangaroos. We moved the species into a brand new genus unique to New Guinea and (very creatively) renamed it <em>Nombe nombe</em>.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/724328370" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><em><span class="caption">A 3D surface scan of a specimen of Nombe nombe, specifically a fossilised lower jaw from central Papua New Guinea. (Courtesy of Papua New Guinea Museum and Art Gallery, Port Moresby).</span></em></figcaption></figure> <p>Our findings show <em>Nombe</em> may have evolved from an ancient form of kangaroo that migrated into New Guinea from Australia in the late Miocene epoch, some 5–8 million years ago.</p> <p>In those days, the islands of New Guinea and Australia were connected by a land bridge due to lower sea levels – whereas today they’re separated by the Torres Strait.</p> <p>This “bridge” allowed early Australian mammals, including megafauna, to migrate to New Guinea’s rainforests. When the Torres Strait flooded again, these animal populations became disconnected from their Australian relatives and evolved separately to suit their tropical and mountainous New Guinean home.</p> <p>We now consider <em>Nombe</em> to be the descendant of one of these ancient lineages of kangaroos. The squat, muscular animal lived in a diverse mountainous rainforest with thick undergrowth and a closed canopy. It evolved to eat tough leaves from trees and shrubs, which gave it a thick jawbone and strong chewing muscles.</p> <p>The species is currently only known from two fossil lower jaws. And much more remains to be discovered. Did <em>Nombe</em> hop like modern kangaroos? Why did it go extinct?</p> <p>As is typical of palaeontology, one discovery inspires an entire host of new questions.</p> <p><strong>Strange but familiar animals</strong></p> <p>Little of the endemic animal life of New Guinea is known outside of the island, even though it is very strange and very interesting. Very few Australians have much of an idea of what’s there, just over the strait.</p> <p>When I went to the Papua New Guinea Museum in Port Moresby early in my PhD, I was thrilled by the animals I encountered. There are several living species of large, long-nosed, worm-eating echidna – one of which weighs up to 15 kilograms.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=451&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=451&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=451&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=567&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=567&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=567&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="Author Isaac Kerr poses for a photo, holding an Australian giant kangaroo jaw in his left hand" /></a><figcaption><em><span class="caption">I’m excited to start digging in New Guinea’s rainforests!</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p>There are also dwarf cassowaries and many different wallaby, tree kangaroo and possum species that don’t exist in Australia – plus many more in the fossil record.</p> <p>We tend to think of these animals as being uniquely Australian, but they have other intriguing forms in New Guinea.</p> <p>As an Australian biologist, it’s both odd and exhilarating to see these “Aussie” animals that have expanded into new and weird forms in another landscape.</p> <p>Excitingly for me and my colleagues, <em>Nombe nombe</em> may breathe some new life into palaeontology in New Guinea. We’re part of a small group of researchers that was recently awarded a grant to undertake three digs at two different sites in eastern and central Papua New Guinea over the next three years.</p> <p>Working with the curators of the Papua New Guinea Museum and other biologists, we hope to inspire young local biology students to study palaeontology and discover new fossil species. If we’re lucky, there may even be a complete skeleton of <em>Nombe nombe</em> waiting for us.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/185778/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/isaac-alan-robert-kerr-1356949" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Isaac Alan Robert Kerr</a>, PhD Candidate for Palaeontology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flinders University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/this-giant-kangaroo-once-roamed-new-guinea-descended-from-an-australian-ancestor-that-migrated-millions-of-years-ago-185778" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Supplied</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Grandfather attacked by kangaroo while protecting his dogs

<p>A grandfather has been left battered and bruised after getting in a fight with a kangaroo, while trying to protect his dogs. </p> <p>Victorian man Cliff Dess squared up with the huge animal when it broke onto his property and started intimidating his pets. </p> <p>Despite his best efforts, the 59-year-old was trampled by the kangaroo. </p> <p>“It was a six-foot buck in an aggressive mood,” Dess told <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/vic/shock-moment-grandfather-attacked-by-kangaroo-while-protecting-his-dogs-c-7006749" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a>.</p> <p>Grabbing a stick for protection, the grandfather refuses to back down, wrestling to stop the beast clawing at his face.</p> <p>“I was fortunate enough I landed, there was a big stick there, so I sort of started whacking it across the head and that and started defending myself but then the stick snapped like a carrot.”</p> <p>When Cliff first saw the huge animal outside his house, he approached it with caution in an attempt to shoo it away with ease. </p> <p>“I was a good 30-40 feet away from it, but it stood back on its tail and hind legs and claws up and started making grunting noises,” he said.</p> <p>The terrifying tousle lasted minutes until Dess wrestled the roo to the ground, using his weight to subdue it.</p> <p>“At least I had a little bit of fight in the tank,” Dess said.</p> <p>Despite suffering injuries to his back, Cliff was glad the roo chose his house to approach and not someone else. </p> <p>“There’s a lot of old people who walk past here and a lot of women with children and prams. It could’ve been worse. It could’ve been one of those.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: 7News</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Man rescues mob of kangaroos from Ukraine zoo

<p>Ten kangaroos have been evacuated to safety as Russia continues attacks in Ukraine’s second major city, Kharkiv.</p> <p>A video shows the animals being transported to a new home from Feldman Ecopark where three staff and animals including orangutans were killed after they were caught in the horrific war zone.</p> <p>A van driver fleeing with the frightened kangaroos says: 'It is one month since the war began and we keep evacuating the animals.'</p> <p>Other footage shows the peace and tranquility at the Kharkiv zoo before the war began.</p> <p>'These kangaroos are already safe,' said the zoo.</p> <p>'This is very good, because their enclosures, unfortunately, were repeatedly shelled.</p> <p>'We believe that now they will be fine.'</p> <p>A statement said: 'Many thanks to volunteers and employees who take risks to save animals, as well as to our many friends - caring people, businesses and non-governmental organisations who help us financially and make our rescue operations possible.</p> <p>'Your support truly saves lives.'</p> <p>The kangaroos were the latest to be saved from Feldman Ecopark in Kharkiv. Sadly, some have been killed in the attacks.</p> <p>'We cannot avoid tragedies,' said a spokesman.</p> <p>'Four fallow deer and three Welsh goats became victims of another barbaric shelling.</p> <p>'The list of victims of aggression among our pets is growing - it already includes large cats, primates, ungulates, marsupials, and birds...</p> <p>'Feldman Ecopark has been on the line of fire for the last month.</p> <p>'In order for the mournful list to no longer expand, we must take out all the animals.'</p> <p>Ten days ago mortar shelling by the 'Russian aggressors' destroyed the winter enclosures of great apes at the popular facility, killing two orangutans and a chimpanzee.</p> <p>Staff and rescuers have recently managed to save rare spurred turtles, along with white-nosed and blue monkeys. The turtles each weighing over 100kg.</p> <p>'For the first time in Ukraine, these Red Book giants successfully bred in our Ecopark, and we believe that everything will be fine with them.'</p> <p>Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported that the zoo had more than 300 species of animals but were repeatedly hit by Russian shelling since the 24th of February.</p> <p>Click <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/tp38yy/these_kangaroos_were_saved_from_an_eco_park_in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here </a>to see the amazing footage.</p> <p><em>Images: Reddit</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Bizarre search for escaped kangaroo in Denmark

<p>Police in south-east Denmark have appealed for public help to track down a kangaroo that was filmed hopping across a field.</p> <p>Police said on Facebook that a driver saw the marsupial "hopping around" near Oster Ulslev, a village 16km from the port city of Rodbyhavn where ferries connect to northern Germany.</p> <p>They said the driver, whom they did not identify, had the presence of mind to film the animal although they acknowledged the three-second video they posted was "short and grainy."</p> <p>The South Zealand and Lolland-Falster Police requested any sightings or information on the animal's whereabouts to be reported using non-emergency number 114.</p> <p>The kangaroo is not considered to be dangerous and was not reported as missing.</p> <p>Despite the fact that kangaroos are not common in northern Europe, it is the second time the same police district has reached out for help in finding one: in 2014, a kangaroo escaped from a private animal farm in the same area.</p> <p>In July 2018, a kangaroo was on the run elsewhere in Denmark for half a day before its owner found it.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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“Only in Canberra”: Locals rescue kangaroo from lake

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Three Canberra locals have had an unlikely run-in with a kangaroo, after finding it standing in the cold waters of Lake Burley Griffin.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Passer-by David Boyd filmed the moment two men rescued the marsupial from the water, which was later on a Canberra group Facebook page.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This was my morning - only in Canberra - well done to these two guys,” Mr Boyd wrote.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">ONLY IN CANBERRA. From David Boyd 📸 <a href="https://t.co/KFc5Qmg4hw">pic.twitter.com/KFc5Qmg4hw</a></p> — Julian Abbott 💉💉 (@JulianBAbbott) <a href="https://twitter.com/JulianBAbbott/status/1440097357614379008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 20, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the clip, the nervous roo allows the men to carry it out of the water and back onto land.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Then, the kangaroo offered its paw to ‘thank’ its rescuers for their help.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Aw, he’s thanking ya,” Mr Boyd can be heard saying in the background.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844339/kangaroo.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/4d2ecbbcca2040c7b5d0eaf2b665c856" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: David Boyd / Facebook</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The video, which has been viewed over 400,000 times, received a flood of comments from concerned viewers wondering whether the animal was okay.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Boyd confirmed that the kangaroo “came good”, while another onlooker revealed that the animal ended up back in the lake again, prompting a second rescue.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844341/242490125_10157139604002185_4809991376119986184_n.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/8f7f9c7559234f6dae9aa044af038177" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Penelope Twemlow / Facebook</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The kangaroo ended up back in the lake so a second group of people rescued it again (twice over), only to see it deliberately jump back in the lake so we ended up calling the rangers,” Penelope Twemlow wrote.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: David Boyd / Facebook</span></em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Little pygmy possum discovered on Kangaroo Island after devastating bushfires

<p>A little pygmy possum has been found on Kangaroo Island for the first time since its habitat was mostly destroyed in bushfires that burnt almost half the island.</p> <p>Fauna ecologist Pat Hodgens said the discovery on the west of the South Australian island was incredibly exciting.</p> <p>"There's only really been 113 formal records of the species [ever on Kangaroo Island]," he said.</p> <p>"So certainly not very common and, obviously, the summer bushfires burnt through much of that habitat that species had, but we were certainly hopeful that we would find them."</p> <p>According to Mr Hodgens, the tiny pygmy possum was hard to find and study, due to their size.</p> <p>The little pygmy possum, or Cercartetus lepidus, weighs a mere 7 grams.</p> <p>Considered to be the world’s smallest possum, they are mainly found in Tasmania, Kangaroo Island and sometimes on mainland South Australia and Victoria.</p> <p>Conservation group Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife found the tiny creature earlier this week as part of a larger recovery effort in the wake of the summer bushfires.</p>

Domestic Travel

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Riding on the kangaroo’s back: Animal skin fashion, exports and ethical trade

<p>The Versace fashion house recently <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/15/versace-bans-kangaroo-skin-after-pressure-from-animal-activists">announced</a> it had stopped using kangaroo skins in its fashion collections after coming under pressure from animal rights group <a href="https://www.lav.it/en">LAV</a>.</p> <p>Kangaroo meat and skin has an annual production <a href="http://www.kangarooindustry.com/industry/economic/">value</a> of around A$174 million, with skins used in the fashion and shoe manufacturing industries.</p> <p>There are legitimate questions regarding the ethical manner in which kangaroos are killed. But Indigenous people have long utilised the skins of kangaroos and possums. Versace’s concerns may have been allayed by understanding more about our traditions and practices.</p> <p><strong>Reviving skills</strong></p> <p>There has always been concern around how native animals are treated while alive and how they are killed to cause as little distress, pain and suffering as possible. Campaigners say <a href="https://www.lav.it/en/news/australia-versace-kangaroos">2.3 million</a> kangaroos in Australia are hunted each year. Official <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/wildlife-trade/natives/wild-harvest/kangaroo-wallaby-statistics/kangaroo-2000">sources</a> cite this figure as the national quota, but put the number actually killed at around 1.7 million.</p> <p>Australian Aboriginal people have for many thousands of years utilised native animals, predominantly kangaroos and possums. Consciously and sustainably, every part of the animal was used. The kangaroo meat was eaten, the skins used to make cloaks for wearing, teeth used to make needles, sinew from the tail used as thread.</p> <p>The cloaks were incised with designs on the skin side significant to the wearer representing their totems, status and kinship. Cloaks were made for babies and added to as the child grew into adulthood, and people were buried in their <a href="https://www.nationalquiltregister.org.au/aboriginal-skin-cloaks/">cloaks</a>when they died.</p> <p>Aboriginal women from New South Wales and Victoria have begun <a href="https://sydney.edu.au/museums/images/content/exhibitions-events/where-we-all-meet/djon-mundine-essay-sectioned.pdf">reviving</a> the tradition of kangaroo and possum skin cloak-making to pass down knowledge of this important practice to future generations. Interestingly, possum skins can only be purchased from New Zealand for these crafts. As an introduced species, they have wreaked havoc on NZ animal populations and the environment, but are a protected species in Australia.</p> <p><strong>Culls and trade</strong></p> <p>In Australia, kangaroos are not farmed but are harvested for meat and fur in the wild under a voluntary <a href="https://www.viva.org.uk/under-fire/cruelty-kangaroos">code of conduct</a>. The code is difficult to monitor and enforcement is <a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/thinkk_production/resources/29/Kangaroo_Court_Enforcement_of_the_law_governing_commercial_kangaroo_killing_.pdf">complicated</a> by federal and state sharing of responsibility. This code is currently under <a href="https://www.agrifutures.com.au/kangaroo-commercial-code-review/">review</a>.</p> <p>The export and import of wildlife is <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/wildlife-trade/natives">regulated</a> under Australia’s national environmental law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Act.</p> <p>In practice, kangaroos are shot in the wild by professional licensed shooters with an intended single shot to the head to kill them quickly.</p> <p>There are <a href="http://thinkkangaroos.uts.edu.au/issues/welfare-and-enforcement.html">concerns</a> over whether shooters should be trained better and whether nighttime shoots with poor visibility result in the killing of alpha males or mothers with joeys in their pouches.</p> <p>If mothers are accidentally shot, the code dictates the joey should be shot too. Sometimes the shot does not kill them instantly and they are then clubbed over the head. Traditionally, Aboriginal people speared kangaroos. This was unlikely to kill them instantly, so they were swiftly killed with a blow to the head by a <em>boondi</em>(wooden club).</p> <p><strong>Why kangaroo?</strong></p> <p>Kangaroo skin is extremely strong and more flexible than other leathers, including cow hide.</p> <p>It is routinely used in the production of soccer boots as they mould to the feet extremely well and don’t need to be worn in like harder leathers. This has led to an <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2006-07-12/kangaroo-skin-hits-fashion-capitals/1799602">increase</a> in the use of kangaroo.</p> <p>LAV <a href="https://www.lav.it/en/news/australian-fire-our-actions-to-save-animals">reports</a> Italy is the biggest importer of kangaroo leather in Europe, where it is used to produce soccer shoes and motorbike suits. They are <a href="https://www.lav.it/en/news/australian-fire-our-actions-to-save-animals">lobbying</a> brands Lotto and Dainese to stop using kangaroo, arguing that shooting animals is not sustainable given the estimated <a href="https://theconversation.com/bushfires-left-millions-of-animals-dead-we-should-use-them-not-just-bury-them-129787">1 billion</a> creatures killed in bushfires this season.</p> <p>In terms of environmental sustainability, kangaroos cause less damage to the environment than cattle. Cows contribute methane gas, their hard hooves destroy the earth, they eat the grass to a point that it does not regenerate. Kangaroos eat the grass leaving a small portion to re-flourish, they bounce across the land without causing damage to it, and don’t produce methane gases.</p> <p>The use of kangaroo skins in fashion can be done ethically if the code is reviewed in consultation with Aboriginal people and enforced properly. The industry has the <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/an/EA03248">potential</a> to produce and support sustainable business opportunities for Aboriginal communities.</p> <p>While celebrities are <a href="https://www.idausa.org/campaign/wild-animals-and-habitats/fur/latest-news/kardashians-shamed-among-10-worst-celebrities-fur-animals/">shamed</a> for wearing fur fashion, this relates to the unregulated and inhumane treatment of coyotes, chinchillas, foxes, mink, rabbits, and other fur-bearing animals. In contrast, scientists <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/an/EA03248">consider</a> kangaroo harvest as “one of the few rural industry development options with potential to provide economic return with minimal environmental impact”.</p> <p><strong>Only natural</strong></p> <p>Versace, along with most fashion retailers across the high-end to ready-to-wear spectrum, use synthetic fibres in their fashion products. Such materials eventually <a href="https://theconversation.com/time-to-make-fast-fashion-a-problem-for-its-makers-not-charities-117977">cause more damage</a> to the environment than natural fibres and skins. They don’t biodegrade and many of these fibres end up in landfill, our oceans or in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749119348808">stomachs of fish</a>.</p> <p>Animal skins will always be used in fashion and other products because of the unique properties the skins bring to design and function.</p> <p>While the bushfires have killed millions of Australian native animals, kangaroo culls are managed to have limited impact on the population.</p> <p>We should focus our energy on saving Australian native animals that are <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-bushfires-could-drive-more-than-700-animal-species-to-extinction-check-the-numbers-for-yourself-129773">close to extinction</a> and lobbying for a stricter ethical code for shooters that can be legally enforced to ensure kangaroos are killed humanely.</p> <p><em>Written by Dr Fabri Blacklock. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/riding-on-the-kangaroos-back-animal-skin-fashion-exports-and-ethical-trade-130207">The Conversation.</a> </em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Devastating scenes for wildlife rescuers at Kangaroo Island

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wildlife rescuers have been left heartbroken as they comprehend the sheer scale and task of helping injured wildlife that have been impacted by the bushfires.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wildlife rescuers were surrounded by burnt-out trees and ground covered with ash and dead animals who passed in the bushfires.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dozens of injured koalas have been arriving at Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park’s makeshift animal hospital in cat carriers, washing baskets or clinging to their carers.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, it’s not all positive as many that have been rescued are found to be so badly injured that they must be euthanised. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Steve Selwood, South Australia Veterinary Emergency Management team leader at the hospital said that 46,000 koalas were thought to be on the island before the bushfires. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The fires here were particularly ferocious and fast moving, so we’re seeing a lot less injured wildlife than in other fires,” he tells </span><a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/wildlife-rescuers-find-signs-of-life-among-kangaroo-island-devastation/news-story/869a45d590338135af1254b4f6ec1176"><span style="font-weight: 400;">news.com.au</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“A lot of the wildlife was incinerated.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With almost half of Kangaroo Island being ruined by fire, an estimated 80 per cent of koala habitat has been wiped out, which means that once the koalas are healed, they have nowhere to go.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This issue is on the backburner as teams of vets work to save as many native wildlife as they can.</span></p>

Domestic Travel

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Hopping wet: Stubborn kangaroo jumps back into river after police rescue

<p><span>Police on a jetski were filmed rescuing a kangaroo who went for a swim in a lake in ACT yesterday.</span></p> <p><span>The video of the attempted rescue was filmed on the edge of Lake Burleigh Griffin and featured a very happy marsupial just going for a swim.</span></p> <p><span>Police officers on a jetski pulled the kangaroo onto their jetski in an attempted rescue and dumped the animal on shore, hoping it would hop away to safety.</span></p> <p><span>However, the kangaroo had other ideas.</span></p> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ul087KosE8g"></iframe></div> <p><span>As soon as the kangaroo was put onto shore, he turned around and jumped back into the water and swam away.</span></p> <p><span>The video ends with disgruntled police officers jetting back to the marsupial.</span></p> <p><span>Commenters were thrilled with the animals determination to keep swimming, as many had never seen a kangaroo in the water before.</span></p> <p><span>“Obviously wants to get to the other side! Kangaroos are great swimmers,” one commenter said.</span></p> <p><span>“Feet like flippers,” another said.</span></p> <p><span>ACT Police spoke to </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/animals/police-jetski-rescue-foiled-by-stubborn-swimming-kangaroo/news-story/c8d10ff0ae037d66c0b4b15d6044671b" target="_blank">news.com.au</a> </em><span>about the incident, saying that after the camera stopped rolling, the kangaroo was rescued again and taken to the bush.</span></p> <p>“ACT Water Police officers were alerted to a kangaroo in the Central Basin of Lake Burley Griffin,” a spokesperson said.</p> <p>“Officers rescued the kangaroo from the lake, and handed it to parks workers who relocated the kangaroo to a bushland location.”</p>

Domestic Travel

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Hop to it! Head to Kangaroo Island

<p>There’s always something special about islands by nature of their very isolation. That’s certainly true of Kangaroo Island, named by Matthew Flinders in 1802 because he saw a lot of western grey kangaroos here. Not far behind him was the French explorer Nicolas Baudin who gave this South Australian island many of its French names.</p> <p>While the closest point of the island is less than 15km from the South Australian coast it hasn’t been easy – or cheap – to get here. You need to either catch the ferry from the Fleurieu Peninsula to Penneshaw (four departures daily) or fly from Adelaide with REX – it’s a 30-minute flight.</p> <p>However, starting December 2017 QantasLink will begin a new Kangaroo Route and fly into Kangaroo Island from Adelaide three times a week, increasing to five flights a week in the peak summer season (December-March). It will also trial a direct flight from Melbourne three times a week from December 17 until January 28. It’s hoped that this new competition may reduce fares overall.</p> <p>Flinders Chase National Park has two of the three iconic sights of Kangaroo island: Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch, right on the southwest corner. Midway along the south coast is the other: Seal Beach.</p> <p>Don’t underestimate the size of Kangaroo Island. It has more than 500km of coastline and it’s a 150km drive from east to west. And, as South Australians have known for generations,<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.tourkangarooisland.com.au/" target="_blank"><span>Kangaroo Island</span></a> is a remarkable place to visit. While most of the eastern end of the island is farmland the whole of the west is national park.</p> <p><strong>Nature touring</strong></p> <p>A feature of the island is its wildlife. We were fortunate to be shown around the island by Craig Wickham of<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.exceptionalkangarooisland.com/" target="_blank"><span>Exceptional Kangaroo Island</span></a> who found us kangaroos, wallabies and koalas in the wild. Exceptional Kangaroo Island is part of the<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.australianwildlifecollection.com/" target="_blank"><span>Australian Wildlife Collection</span></a>, a consortium of Australia’s best nature experiences.</p> <p>We had a lot of time to observe this because, unlike my few other echidna encounters, this one ignored us and went about its business of finding dinner. We kept our distance and it walked with us. That's another benefit of visiting an island – the animals are not skittish.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BHg8dcQhIc8/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BHg8dcQhIc8/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">#lookout #randomstops #cloudysky #treestreestrees</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/cassiechookie/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Cassie</a> (@cassiechookie) on Jul 6, 2016 at 2:20am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>A highlight of touring with Craig was a visit to Lathami Conservation Park near the north coast. We had the whole reserve to ourselves.</p> <p>While observing wallabies cautiously watching us, an echidna waddled past. Craig told us that the apparent waddle is because the spines go deep into an echidna’s muscle so they move as each muscle moves.</p> <p>Exceptional Kangaroo Island truly proved its worth as we were leaving the island. Our REX flight was delayed so Craig rushed to the airport to tell us he’d seen a South Australian glossy black cockatoo just minutes from the runway.</p> <p>We jumped in his 4WD and spent 15 minutes watching the bird with her spectacular red tail and yellow head flashes as she noisily cracked sheoak seeds.</p> <p>That was very special because this bird once ranged across South Australia, however, by 1995, the population was restricted to about 200 surviving on Kangaroo Island.</p> <p>There’s now a<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/kangarooisland/plants-and-animals/native-animals/glossy-black-cockatoo-recovery" target="_blank"><span>recovery program</span></a> in place and the bird we saw is one of an estimated 350. So the population has almost doubled. Being whisked from the Departure Lounge to see it made the moment more special.</p> <p><strong>Kingscote</strong></p> <p>Kingscote is the main town of KI (as the locals call it) and it houses about a third of the island’s population of 4500. It has all the regular services you’d expect.</p> <p>The local art and jewellery at<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.fineartkangarooisland.com.au/" target="_blank"><span>Fine Art Kangaroo Island</span></a> is especially worth a visit. So too is<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.island-beehive.com.au/" target="_blank"><span>Island Beehive</span></a>, which offers a range of unique KI honeys and other products in a large showroom with an active beehive on display.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu4k4UqgmmN/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu4k4UqgmmN/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Did you know koalas sleep for almost 19 hours a day? #gdayATA⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ (Taken on Kangaroo Island Adventure | link in bio)</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/_adventuretours/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Adventure Tours Australia</a> (@_adventuretours) on Mar 11, 2019 at 3:00pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>There are some good local wines, too – and enough<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://kangarooislandwineries.com.au/" target="_blank"><span>wineries</span></a> for a tour. We visited the<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.iev.com.au/" target="_blank"><span>Islander Estate Vineyards</span></a> and left with several bottles of its excellent Wally White 2015 semillon.</p> <p><strong>Southern Ocean Lodge</strong></p> <p>There’s no shortage of accommodation across KI from hotels, motels, guest houses, B&amp;Bs, hostels and camping. However, one resort attracts inordinate attention because it is simply beautiful.</p> <p><a rel="noopener" href="http://southernoceanlodge.com.au/" target="_blank"><span>Southern Ocean Lodge</span></a> is a spectacular all-inclusive luxury resort in a remarkable location. On a ridge above Hanson Bay and wedged between Flinders Chase National Park and Cape Bouguer Wilderness Protection Area, this glass edifice is theatrical in its simplicity.</p> <p>It’s been rated as one of the Top 100 lodges in the world and the exquisite detail in the 21 rooms and in the Great Room plus the cuisine – and the range of freely available SA wines – could keep you housebound for days. That would be no hardship as the wild panorama outside is breathtaking.</p> <p><strong>Natural wonders</strong></p> <p>The lodge is also down the action end of the island. From here it’s a short drive into the National Park. On the way we stopped to visit some very active koalas and fields of lounging kangaroos.</p> <p>Admirals Arch is accessed by a windswept, switchback boardwalk that makes the descent more like tacking than walking. While the arch is indeed grand, it’s the playful seals and sea lions down here that capture your attention.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BwUGiy5DaOc/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BwUGiy5DaOc/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">EYE • SPY At Admirals Arch, peel eyes away from the powerful swell and calcified tree roots emerging from the grotto overhead to spot New Zealand fur seals playing in the shallows, surfing the foamy wash or basking on the rocks.</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/southernoceanlodge/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> @southernoceanlodge</a> (@southernoceanlodge) on Apr 16, 2019 at 4:05am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Remarkable Rocks are just that. The wind-carved sculptured boulders daubed in golden lichen on a giant granite dome seem carved by a giant Henry Moore or another imaginative sculptor.</p> <p>On the main southern road between Southern Ocean Lodge and the airport is<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/sealbay/home" target="_blank"><span>Seal Bay Conservation Park</span></a>. From the visitor centre you can go down onto the beach for a rare chance to walk among Australian sea lions. Up to 1000 sea lions visit here so there’s a very good chance you’ll find some at home – even pups cavorting in the tussock.</p> <p>It’s exciting that the new air services will make KI more accessible than ever before. More of us will have the chance to discover a laid-back island community living with some of Australia’s greatest nature experiences and natural attractions.</p> <p><em>Written by David McGonigal. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/travel/hop-it-to-kangaroo-island.aspx">Wyza.com.au</a>.</em></p>

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Kangaroo brawl captured on infrared police camera

<p>Kangaroos are one of the most well-loved animals in Australia, but if this footage is anything to go by you wouldn’t want to come across one in a dark alley.</p> <p>Police have captured an incredible infrared video of two kangaroos coming to blows in bushland Victoria. The footage, which you can see below, was taken from a helicopter that was flying overhead and scanning the scene.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nlEGihR2ZBE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>Goodness knows what these two kangaroos were fighting about, but you definitely wouldn’t want to be the one to step in between the two and break the fight up.</p> <p>Have you ever seen a pair of kangaroos having a biff?</p> <p><em>Hero image credit: Victoria Police via Storyful</em></p>

International Travel

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This adorable kangaroo joey just wants a cuddle

<p>Sometimes in life you just need a little bit of affection. In this video, an adorable mob of kangaroo joeys is hassling one of the volunteers at Our Haven Wildlife Shelter in Golden Beach, Victoria. And they’re just after a little TLC.</p> <p>The video, which you can see below, was shared on the shelter’s Facebook page and features Joe, a particularly insistent joey who clung onto the keeper’s leg, hoping for a smooch.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fourhavenwildlifeshelter%2Fvideos%2F1283271545113478%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=400" width="400" height="400" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p> <p>And who could resist that face?</p> <p>For more information on the sort of great work Our Haven Wildlife Shelter is doing for Australian animals at need, you can check out their website here.</p> <p>Have you ever had a cute encounter with a kangaroo?</p>

International Travel

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Older kangaroo helps young joey scratch his back

<p>Ah, is there anything worse than having an itch you can’t quite reach? It’s enough to drive you hopping mad! <a href="http://www.ourhavenwildlifeshelter.org.au/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Our Haven Wildlife Shelter</strong></span></a> in Victoria, Australia, has posted a video of a young kangaroo joey with that exact problem.</p> <p>Spud the joey has an itch that he’s been struggling with for a while, but no matter how hard he tries he just can’t get his tiny paws back there to scratch it. His friend Blue, an older kangaroo, notices this and decides to lend a helping paw.</p> <p>Our Haven Wildlife Shelter is a non-profit animal sanctuary where sick and injured wildlife are nursed back to health. For more information, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.ourhavenwildlifeshelter.org.au/">click here</a></strong></span>.</p> <p>What’s your favourite Australian animal?</p> <p><strong><em>Credit: Our Haven Wildlife Shelter Inc non profit via Storyful</em></strong></p>

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