National Geographic: Kangaroo Comeback Page #2

---

Another ancient denizen of

the forest arrives

and the little rat kangaroo beats

a hasty retreat

The cassowary is an unusual animal

that has changed little in millions

of years

These large, flightless birds can

be over five feet tall

and it's the males that look after

the young

Shy birds, these giants shrink

from confrontation

unless there's a threat

to their young

Using their huge claws

cassowaries have been known to kill

humans in defense of their chicks

But this primeval world where

kangaroos evolved

has been disappearing from Australia

for millennia

And most kangaroos have long since

adapted to harsher stuff

Out in the bush, the days of high

summer have passed

The red kangaroos are more active

during the day

But our joey still spends most of

his time in the pouch

Older ones are venturing out to

enjoy the cooler weather

Red kangaroos are affectionate mothers

She grooms him every day

always keeping her eyes peeled

for danger

She knows he's still small enough

to lure unwanted attention

There is reason for her caution

The wedgetailed eagle is nearby

When the bird takes off

mothers fold their joeys back

into the pouch

With no prospects in the offing

the eagle returns to her nest to

see to her own family business

Her chicks are voracious eaters

They love kangaroo meat

But there's competition in the

predatory arena

Australia's wild dog, the dingo

also lurks wherever kangaroos gather

So the eagle must set out again

Wedgetails are partial to young joeys

but won't take on protective

mothers to get at them

Soon, he'll be as much of a handful

as the other joey

who's already out and about

Once again, Joey's mother

senses trouble

And her instincts are usually

on the mark

Not far off, the eagle has claimed

a young kangaroo

and Joey's mother decides to depart

But wedgetailed eagles have families

to feed as well

And these two are anxious to eat

She brings them torn off slivers

of meat

gently feeding the chicks from

a fearsome beak

Nothing much has changed for the

rest of the kangaroos

The young males play

the adults relax

Many settle in for a regular

daytime snooze

But Joey's got other ideas

He's up now, so his mother must rouse

herself to stand guard

Joey looks big enough to be weaned

He has taken to sticking just his

head in the pouch sometimes nursing

sometimes only for comfort

The kangaroos are having a

quiet afternoon

For the most part, they just sit

around or dust-bathe

For the first time

Joey's mother allows him to wander

more than an arm's length away

He's always been a fine scratcher

But he's still an uncertain walker

at best

Kangaroos are built for hopping

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes