Kangaroo Kinship: Finding Ourselves in the Wild
Time and again, as I watch wildlife, I am struck by the realisation of how much of our behaviour as humans is not unique to us and how, in so many respects, we are unremarkable — just like any other animal.
Surprisingly, this holds true not only for 'more evolved' animals, such as monkeys and apes, but also for other species—even those we consider less intelligent. It's as though our judgment of intelligence is merely a reflection of our own biases, aimed at affirming our superiority.
This time, I want to share my experience with kangaroo mother-and-child behaviour and how, even if you know nothing about kangaroos, their actions feel instantly relatable in human terms. And honestly, if kangaroos observed us, I have little doubt that they’d find our behaviour just as familiar—through their eyes, of course.
A mob of about half a dozen kangaroos visits my backyard nearly every morning and evening. It consists of a relatively large male, a small female with a joey that mostly roams around (if you do not know, 'joey' is a young kangaroo), and three smaller, young ones. As they’ve grown accustomed to me, I can observe them from a reasonable distance. And while they keep a watching eye, they mostly ignore me and go about their business. Now, I will let my photos tell the rest of the story.
Here are the mother and her joey watching me. She is a small female. Just notice how large her joey is relative to her.
The joey is mostly well-behaved, staying close to his mum. Sometimes, however, he gets bored and plays cute to grab her attention.
If that’s not enough, he’ll come over, still looking cute, and remind her that he’s still there.
The Joey Seeking Attention
This is irresistible to the mother, so she kisses him. Without hesitation he kisses her back.
And what a hug they give each other!
As large and independent as he may be, when it's rest time, there is only one place to go.
And if, for a moment, you thought it might be a bit tight for a large joey in a pouch, you’re absolutely right. Who could imagine just how flexible they are?
And even when he eventually falls asleep, he can’t fit completely in anymore and must maintain his yoga pose.
Can you even begin to imagine what it feels like to hope with a baby half your size in your pouch?
As I continue watching them, I find more and more similarities between them and us. So I will keep watching and photographing them. And hopefully, will tell you more stories about them, along with more photos, in my upcoming posts.
Where are they please?