Tree Kangaroo - no kidding!

[Michele]  I know that Greg and Katie want to write a couple more blog entries on their adventures here but while they are recovering from the nasty West to East jet lag, I will share just one of our highlights:  We spotted a Tree Kangaroo!

Now I entitled this blog "Tree Kangaroo - no kidding!" because I anticipate one of two reactions to the news that we saw a tree kangaroo

• "What the heck are you talking about? How do kangaroos climb trees?"  - or-
•  "No way, you  actually saw one? They are so rare!"

In answer to both I respond, "No kidding!".

We stayed in Yungaburra one night with the intent of seeing platypuses.  I went down to the creek at 6:30 am to see some but only saw a bush turkey and a runner who advised me to look up for Tree Kangaroos.  I think I smirked at that suggestion, because the tree dwelling macropod is noctural, critically endangered and hard to spot (wikipedia page on Tree Kangaroos).  But the jogger enthusiastically pointed out that the recent rain may have brought them out and that they have been spotted near the creek.  OK.

Later in the morning after a group of us attempted to see platypuses (Robin saw one but none of the rest of us did) we headed back to the cottages and I was looking up into the trees, not really looking for Tree Kangaroos so much as admiring the eucalyptus trees.  Hmm. there is an odd brown blob in the crotch of that eucalyptus tree.  Hmm.  I don't see brown blobs on the other trees.  Hmmm.  That blob is furry.   And I think it has ears, oh, and paws.

So here is my blurry and backlit photo of a furry brown blob sleeping in the crotch of a eucalyptus tree next to a photo from wikipedia.   Just for the record our good camera broke on the reef trip with Chris, Pamela and Lexie so this was taken with my pathetic iphone camera.  Katie and Greg should have better photos.













Addendum: A fancy camera can be very helpful sometimes!  Here is Katie's much more convincing photo of a Tree Kangaroo.

See! told you it was a tree kangaroo.