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What not to do when you meet a kangaroo on Kangaroo Island

How to interact with the locals and just off the coast of South Australia and experience Australian Wildlife at its natural best.

What not to do when you meet a kangaroo on Kangaroo Island

By

Monica Chew

What not to do when you meet a kangaroo on Kangaroo Island

1. You’re in the animal kingdom now. Everyone knows the rules of the party – smile, make small talk, never comment on the hostess’ choice of wardrobe or criticise her taste in music. But when you’re in the wild, these rules don’t apply anymore. Now you’re at a party filled with buff, naked foreigners who can’t understand a word out of your mouth and could easily misunderstand your gesture of “Hello” for “Come at me, brah”. To which the answer could very well be “U wot m8”.

2. I repeat – you’re in the animal kingdom now. Unlike when you’re in a zoo, where animals are conditioned to be on a stage in front of a large human audience armed with flashing cameras, the wildlife that you meet on Kangaroo Island are usually, well, wild. They aren’t overfed and lethargic, they’re used to defending their territory and basically being badass on a daily basis. So remember, selfies with the animals are fine, but keep a reasonable distance.

3. Don’t feed the animals. Someone once told me this: When you feed native animals you're giving them the wildlife equivalent of junk food. It can damage their health and make them dependent on visitors for their food, so don’t start.

4. Don’t go looking for a fight. By nature, kangaroos aren’t aggressive animals and wouldn’t pick fights, so kangaroo attacks on humans are very rare (and even less so with kangaroos on this island). Still, that shouldn’t encourage you to go around provoking them or testing their patience, just because you think a round of boxing with a kangaroo might make for a great story back home. It won’t. Just remember point 2. 5. Never, ever, say “G’day mate” in a terrible Australian accent. Or “Crikey”. Because even the human locals will give you a dirty look. For more information on South Australia, visit todayonline.com/southaustralia

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