Kangaroos and wallabies

[paul m]

Surprised that this topic hasn't turned up before!
This wallaby is about as far from home as is possible - can anyone give me an idea what species it might be? Also, why is it grazing in London - does it do something that sheep don't or is it Australia getting its revenge?

[H Dogg]

Its the red necked wallaby Macropus rufogriseus, there is wild breeding population in the UK. The main uk populations are the peak district, midlands, and near loch lomond. They were escapees around 70 years ago.

[paul m]

Originally Posted by H Dogg

Its the red necked wallaby Macropus rufogriseus, there is wild breeding population in the UK. The main uk populations are the peak district, midlands, and near loch lomond. They were escapees around 70 years ago.

Thanks (and also to Black on the gallery).
Undoubtedly some have escaped/been released over the years but I suspect that the numbers are exaggerated - how many pictures do we see? Maybe people walking over the moors after a pub lunch and not being able to recognise a leaping sheep?

I recall some on Dunstable Downs (Bedfordshire?) having escaped from Whipsnade after the war but I think they have long gone back into captivity.

One well authenticated population was on the Cheshire-Staffordshire border where one of the Brocklehursts of Swythamley Hall had a private zoo: when food became scarce in 1939 most of the animals, wallabies included, were released onto the moors. They thrived for a few years apparently but then disappeared - either eaten or killed off by the bad winter of 1946-47?

[Jenica]

Kangaroos and wallabies are marsupials that belong to a small group of animals called macro pods. They are only found naturally in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Most macro pods have hind legs larger than their forelimbs, large hind feet, and long muscular tails which they use for balance. The word macro pod actually means big foot. Kangaroos and wallabies are most active at night, dusk and dawn. All kangaroos and wallabies have forward opening pouches. Other marsupials, wombats and koalas have pouches that open backwards. The kangaroo super family consists of two family groups. Kangaroos, wallabies, pademelons and tree kangaroos make up one family, while rat-kangaroos, bettongs and potoroos make up the other. There are forty five species of kangaroos and wallabies.
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Jenica


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[goosey]

You mention Tree-kangaroos in your post Jenica. Interesting animals and I think they tend to have facial features that look like a bear than kangaroo (that’s what I think anyway).
There are 12 species of Tree-kangaroos (genus Dendrolagus) which mainly live in the North Eastern parts of Queensland Australia and the rain forests of New Guinea and some small islands in the area. Usually most are found in mountainous areas but several species also occur in lowlands like the Lowlands Tree-kangaroo.
Their teeth are adapted for tearing leaves and they feed mostly on leaves and fruit, but will eat other foods, including flowers, grain, sap, bark, eggs and young birds when available.
Tree-kangaroos are slow and clumsy on the ground but very agile in trees. They can jump from tree to tree and branch to branch upto 9m and from a tree to the ground upto 18m!

Welcome to WATW Jenica - see you around .

[paul m]

Doesn't seem to be a joined-up plan for marsupial conservation/control in Australia ....
BBC News - Kangaroo 'plague' follows Australian rains