Blueish-Grey or silver Kanguroo

Title

Blueish-Grey or silver Kanguroo

Description

Representation of a Kanguroo.

dated 1808

Artist

Kearsley

Historical Description

Kangaroos are among the best-known marsupials and are considered typical representatives of Australia's fauna, but also live on New Guinea. Kangaroos are characterized by their particularly long hind legs. They are herbivores and are mainly crepuscular or nocturnal. Kangaroos are also variable in terms of activity times and social behavior. Although most species are active at dusk or at night, they can also be observed to varying degrees during the day, for example when sunbathing in the afternoon. They spend the day in the shade of trees. Kangaroos were already important prey animals for the Aborigines - they hunted them for their meat (kangaroo meat) and also processed kangaroo fur. On the other hand, the slash-and-burn agriculture practiced by the Aborigines, whether for hunting or, more recently, for simple farming, has created new habitat. The juxtaposition of burnt areas, areas with young greenery and densely overgrown areas provided the animals with food and shelter. Europeans also hunted these animals after their arrival. Today, most Australian kangaroo species are protected. However, the red and gray giant kangaroos, which have spread considerably since the arrival of Europeans and have no natural enemies, are hunted. In contrast to many other commercially exploited animals, there are no breeding farms.