How important it is to encourage kids to engage with simple pleasures. I worry for my own mobile, high tech kids that they will forget to take joy in quiet moments. One simple pleasure that they are are mad for is feeding kangaroos and wallabies. Most wildlife parks and zoos in Australia offer this experience and it something we end up doing often. Alas, the road to feeding kangaroos and wallabies was not a smooth one. Both my boys had to be forcibly removed from the marsupial enclosure at their first feeding (when they were aged 18 months) due to tantrums. Their reason for their tantrums was the same, a desire to ride the kangaroos and displeasure at being prevented from doing so.
It seems my boys are not alone. A recent discussion with a wildlife carer confirmed my suspicion that children are occasionally mauled by kangaroos at feeding enclosures due to the children inappropriately interacting with them. As a result of this discussion I decided a post was in order, one that both highlights the simple joy that children get from feeding kangaroos, but that also provides a few tips for a successful outing.
Tips for feeding kangaroos and wallabies.
(1) Arrive early. Arriving at opening time will ensure the kangaroos and wallabies are hungry and ready for feeding. Arrive just a few hours late and the kangaroos and wallabies are likely to be full, and unwilling to interact.
(2) Respect kangaroo and wallaby rest areas. Marsupial enclosures have fenced areas where the animals can retreat to escape humans for a while. Don’t allow your children to enter these areas – only feed the animals that are in the main enclosure.
(3) Take care that your child does not stand on any animal’s tail.
(4) DO NOT allow your child to touch a joey (baby) in a pouch or to remove a joey from a pouch.
(5) Only feed kangaroos and wallabies that are at a wildlife park or zoo. Feeding wild marsupials can promote dependence on human food sources.
This photo was taken at the Daintree Wildlife Zoo however other places to feed kangaroos and wallabies in North Queensland are Rainforestation Nature Park, Cairns Tropical Zoo, The Kuranda Koala Gardens and the Port Douglas Wildlife Habitat.
For those of you interested in kangaroos and wallabies I noticed this great post by Sam at the Travelling King blog. Useful advice about what you should do if you hit a kangaroo or wallaby with your car.
