This morning on my climb up to the firetower, a kangaroo stopped me on the stairs.
We watched each other. Both of us were quite still, me with my karri hazel stick and backpack and tiger snake jitters, he with an interrupted mouthful of grass.
I'd just climbed the two steel-runged ladders so I wondered how this old boy made it to this part of the mountain. It's sheer granite cliffs all around and here he is! Maybe he climbed up the eastern side. Eventually, with me having a chat with him about how I had to start work in about four minutes time, the boomer let me pass and ambled onto mossy granite to the east of the stairs. The granite incline was at least 45 but he stayed there to watch me.
It's such an odd sense to see an animal as big as me up here, but the roos are more curious than scared on the mountain, when I see them on the lower sections. Several generations have lived here without being hunted and dogs have been banned from this area for decades. Dingos are pretty much extinct in these parts too, so there are no apex predators for kangaroos to worry about.
On that note, I've been reading Charlotte McConaghy's 'Once There were Wolves', a novel about the reintroduction of wolves into Scotland.
Ah good, you are back. I've missed your lovely posts. How would he have reacted if you tried to push past? Do they ever kick? Bringing wolves back is a contentious issue here. My friend who lives in the North of Germany tells me that there is quite a large pack outside his home town of Bremerhaven. People are uneasy because they live in a patch of woodland which is on route to a school for young children. What big teeth you have, Grandmother...
ReplyDeleteSo interesting! Her book talks about people's fear of wolves taking children. (Her take is that humans are the ones who ordinarily kill children, women and olds even in the olden days, so not wolf crimes).
DeleteAs for that roo, I'm always a bit wary of old boy kangaroos. They are huge and like I wrote, human sized. It's a beautiful thing to see critters like this one but I wouldn't argue with him. He's a hell of a lot stronger than me.
I think that wolves are only dangerous to humans or human children if they are starving. If the authorities compensate local sheep farmers for the odd loss, the children should be safe. Re the roo - I am scared of any animal which is larger than me and a lot of others which are smaller, so I understand.
DeleteWhat a beautiful encounter. I'm glad it was safe and that you could enjoy this moment with that big old kangaroo.
ReplyDeleteI saw him this morning again, near the stairs but he watched me from the bush. He's gorgeous.
DeleteHe looks big and strong. I would talk to him and hope he loped off and disappeared.
ReplyDeleteYes that is usually the plan. It is very lovely having those moments though, of connection.
DeleteAn unscheduled tête-à-tête with a boomer must be considered a lucky omen somewhere. That respectful distance is a good policy I should say, especially when the words "sheer granite cliffs" are lurking around.
ReplyDeleteI think so too Pip.
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