There were reports that there could be snow in some of the higher peaks last night so I thought a trip to Mount Kaputar would be a treat for both of us. :cheers:
There was no snow unfortunately. It had been cold but not enough moisture. The trees were covered in ice which by mid-morning was beginning to thaw and drop a mixture of ice and water. But it was a sunny day and there wasn't much wind so it was very pleasant, although a little cool.
So here are some pictures of Alex, of some ice collected under a tree and some kangaroos.
What wonderful photos!! Alex is obviously greatly enjoying the day. The closeup of him in the tree would make a wonderful portrait!The kangaroos are so interesting. Are they normally friendly? I would guess that since you were able to photograph them, they are not really afraid of humans. Can you approach them? Or do they bite?
ReplyDeleteKangaroos are normally quite shy of humans. However in that particular place, people used to feed them which made them rather too tame. At times some of the males get quite assertive if you are eating and fail to share with them. Alex tried to approach the one photographed by itself, but as he did so I noticed that the other pair, a mother and a young offspring by the tree, and I thought it could be potentially dangerous for him if they felt threatened, so I called him back.A couple of months ago I heard a national parks ranger on the radio giving advice to people about what to do if they injure an animal while driving. She said that you should always be ready to give them a blow to the back of the head if they are seriously injured, and put them out of their misery. A man rang the station and said he had tried that once and as he approached the kangaroo it leaped to its feet, got him on a head lock and nearly strangled him.Some kangaroos, such as the Eastern Red and the Grey Kangaroo can grow well in excess of 6 feet tall. The ones I photographed are likely more accurately described as wallabies which are much smaller- typically 2-4 feet tall.Kangaroos, particularly the big ones, are a big hazard for cars in the country. They often move at night, and in dry times the best food is often in the drains by the road sides. They can also travel quite fast and then jump across the road at high speed. Hitting one at 100 km/hr will badly damage the roo, the car and the humans.
ReplyDeleteWOW! Thanks for that great information! Since we don't have any animal like that here, it's very interesting to see your photos and also to read what you have written about them.
ReplyDeleteI guess wildlife is always a positive and a potential hazard wherever we are!
ReplyDeleteliked much the photos, very beautiful! A hug in boy! rsrs
ReplyDeleteThank Elande! Yes Alex is very huggable!
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