“Kangaroos, koalas, and platypi, Oh My!” If there’s one thing that has made Australia famous for centuries, it has got to be its unique array of fauna that has come to define the country as a place unlike any other. Where else can you see fuzzy creatures carry their young in a pouch, while they bounce swiftly through the desert and the bush? Where else can you see creatures that resemble living teddy bears, that live high in greenest tree tops? And how about a web-footed critter that has the fur of an otter, the tail of a beaver, but has the face of a duck? The wildlife here is indeed unique, and that is just one of the things that makes Australia so special. Not to mention that these animals here have not only captured our imaginations, but the hearts of countless more!
“Yahoo, didgeridoo! Blinky Bill and all his crew! Nutsy, Flap, and Marcia too, and Splodge the kanga-, Splodge the kanga-, Splodge the kangaroo! Sing this to any American and they will give you such a strange glance. Sing it to any Australian, especially one who grew up as a kid in the 1990’s, and you will be greeted with a look of utter joy that one...
Kangaroos aren’t the only fuzzy, cute animal that bounces throughout the land down under. The rabbit, while not a true native animal of Australia, is to native Aussies, a complicated species that has a rather tumultuous history. Actually, to some, the rabbit is less associated with a cute pet, and more associated with a huge pest that nearly ate Australia and...
Admittedly, I am not ashamed to say even as a grown man, I adore these “not bears”. There’s just something so universally appealing about an animal that looks like a real-life teddy bear. They are just about the same size, shape, and have the same level of fluffiness. How could you not stare at one, and be immersed in a feeling of utter joy? They also seem to set...
Situated on the grounds of the Warrook Cattle Farm is a small menagerie, featuring many excellent examples of Australian wildlife. Grey kangaroos are shorter than their taller red kangaroo cousins, who live mostly in the desert. Grey kangaroos live primarily in the bush, and are usually shy around humans, given that many can be found wandering around suburbs of...
“Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree. Merry, merry king of the bush is he!”, as the old song goes. There is no other avian creature that brings such joy, if not a smile to the denizens of the bush than the kookaburra. Some find its laugh to be quite jolly, while others find it to be downright shrill. Anyone who has ever watched any old cartoons that...