Why Kangaroos Don’t Swim
Apparently there is a very good reason why everyone’s favorite bouncing marsupial doesn’t like to swim. Eyewitnesses in Southern Australia report that they saw a kangaroo head out for a swim in the ocean only to be devoured by an enormous shark!
The BBC is reporting that experts say kangaroos will only go into the water if they are in danger or ill… Looks like this one would have been better off toughing it out on land.
The kangaroo was found later quite dead and mauled on the beach. I guess sharks aren’t big fans of the furry creatures… in terms of them sharing the water or their particular flavor.
A kangaroo met an unlikely death after it bounded into the surf in southern Australia and was mauled by a shark, according to eyewitnesses.
Daniel Hurst, who says he saw the incident while out walking his dogs, was accused of being drunk or on drugs after he told the story to friends.
But the emergence of a second witness and the discovery of mangled kangaroo remains appear to confirm his story.
Experts say kangaroos will take to the sea only if they are ill or in danger.
Mr Hurst said he was walking along Torquay beach in Victoria when he saw the marsupial behind scrubland next to the dunes.
"It just headed down towards the water and in it went," he told Australia’s ABC News.
"There’s a bit of a rip in that area so… the kangaroo could have been dragged out, but I could still see its head, and that’s when the shark leapt out of the water on its side.
"The kangaroo disappeared after that. I stayed around for a while, just very interested, and hoping the shark jumped again, but it never eventuated."
The unlikely tale appears to have been backed up by local officials, who discovered a kangaroo carcass on the beach.
And a second witness, Mick Boucher, came forward to say he also saw the shark attack.
Mr Boucher said the marsupial, which seemed dazed, stood at the edge of the water for about 10 seconds and then started swimming out to sea.
"It was bobbing up and down,” Mr Boucher said.
He told the Geelong Advertiser that the unfortunate marsupial was about 200m (656ft) from shore when the shark struck.
He said the predator’s back was clearly visible above the choppy waves as it launched its attack.
"It wasn’t a huge shark and it was too far out to see clearly, but it was a shark. I couldn’t believe it."
source Tags: dumb news, kangaroo, shark attack, australia
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POSTED IN: Dumb Animals, Dumb Pictures, RIP
2 opinions for Why Kangaroos Don’t Swim
Pat OBrien
Dec 16, 2007 at 5:32 pm
Actually kangaroos swim often and well, and yes some get taken by sharks and crocodiles. Just like humans, such occasional mishaps dont seem to stop them from swimming.
See photos at http://www.kangaroo-protection-coalition.com/kangaroo-swim.html
Pat
Ariel
Dec 16, 2007 at 7:23 pm
That’s awesome! Thank you for the link. :-D
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