Intimate encounters

Apart from the chance to record the occasional shot of a threatened species, one of the benefits of remote surveillance cameras is that they provide glimpses into aspects of the daily lives of our common wildlife that most of us rarely get a chance to observe. A camera set up over a two-month period on one of the Strath Creek Biodiversity Project sites on Allandale Road, Strath Creek, recorded many shots of Eastern Grey Kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) feeding, lounging, socialising and mating.

We have put together two video clips – one shows the quite intimate relationship between a joey and its mother, who develop a strong bond until the youngster is able to fend for itself.  The other clip includes part of a long sequence of  shots of a male and female kangaroo copulating, an encounter that lasted about 20 minutes with two short breaks, although “Mammals of Australia” – ed. Ronald Strahan, states this can last up to 50 minutes!

Note: You may need to stop the videos and let them fully download before playing right through.

Warning: sensitive viewers may choose not to watch the following video !