by

Bob Cleaver

Some time ago I came across an article in a newspaper, the contents of which I believe are worthy of recounting.    It highlights one of the reasons why, here in South Australia, it is illegal to release hand-raised native animals back to the wild without appropriate permission and proper supervision from the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

In the early days of my experiences of hand raising native wildlife I must be honest and say that I had difficulty in understanding this line of thought, but over the years I have come to realise that releases of this nature (as is practised in other States of Australia) are not as successful as we would like to believe.    There are many documented cases of released and relocated animals that have come to grief!    An example that immediately springs to mind is an article published in an earlier issue of "Keeping Marsupials" entitled 'The Fate Of Translocated Urban Possums' by Rod Pietsch.

However I digress; to get back to this article.

It was headed 'Woman Strangles Kangaroo'.    The woman was of slight build and a senior citizen, and was filming wildlife in bush land not far from Brisbane when she was attacked by an adolescent kangaroo (species unknown - Ed).

Apparently in her attempt to fight it off, she grabbed it round the neck and strangled the animal to death.    She was later treated at a local hospital for minor cuts and bruises which were consistent with those that could be inflicted by the attentions of an over amorous kangaroo.

As for the poor kangaroo, its carcass was found to have shreds of the woman's clothing on its claws.

The woman refused to be identified!

It did not say so in the article, but I would bet London to a brick that that kangaroo concerned was a hand raised individual that been released back to the wild.