Tell someone you’ve been to Australia and you can expect to hear, “Wow! Did you see any kangaroos?”  The answer is, “Yes!”  But the ‘roos I saw were not what we think of here in the USA.  On my first trip, in 2001, I did see one of those big ‘roos, hopping down the fairway on a golf course!

On this trip the sightings were less dramatic.  We saw several Red-legged pademelon (Thylogale stigmatica) which Wikipedia describes a “a marsupial rainforest kangaroo.”  They are quite shy and hang in the shadows which makes photographs difficult.  This little guy  is probably an adult which means she/he is about 2 1/2 feet tall when upright.  Because their habitat is rainforest the range of the species has shrunk and Wikipedia says it is a vulnerable species.  Australia has many preserves where these charming creatures can live but we humans, frankly, are crowding out everything.  It would be too bad to lose a creature with such a lyrical name. ❧