Kangaroo Natural Threats
The Kangaroo doesn’t have too many predators out there that are due to nature. The Dingo which is a large type of canine found in Australia, is one that they often have problems with. They will often do all they can to avoid these dogs. However, the Dingo is a roamer and often crosses paths out there with the Kangaroo.
The Fox is a common predator of the Kangaroo as well. It is a larger problem for them now than it was in the past. This is because efforts to introduce the Fox to many areas of Australia have been put into motion. While that is great for that particular animal, it has created some off balance deaths for the Kangaroos out there living in the same areas.
In some regions the Tasmanian Devil can become a threat for the Kangaroo as well. Another concern are the wild cats out there. It seems that there are definitely lots of things that can cause the death of a Kangaroo. Yet the fact that they live in large mobs means that they are usually not as vulnerable as many other animals out there that live on their own.
It has been noted that sometimes large Eagles have been able to kill the smaller species of Kangaroos out there for food. They have the element of surprise as they swoop down for the attack. It is believed that the Eagles will only hunt the Kangaroo though when they are struggling to be able to find other food sources that are more common to them. When they are in a survival mode is when they will take part in such behaviors.
There are also certain types of reptiles out there that will try to feed on the smaller Kangaroos as well. They will do so more when they start to find their usual types of meals to be harder to come by when seasons begin to change.
Most people don’t realize that Kangaroos are actually very good swimmers. They often will use the water as a means of escaping from different types of predators out there when they have such an opportunity available to them. They are timid and shy by nature so they are going to run away from danger instead of standing up to it when they can.
They have even been seen holding a predator that followed them into the water under the surface of it until it drowns. While that may sound extreme you have to remember that they are in survival mode at that time. They are going to do all within their own power to survive.
Sometimes they are able to get away from predators due to the fact that they can leap about 16 feet at a time. Yet if the predator is able to sneak up on them they may not have a chance to get away. In those circumstances they are going to stand their ground and fight until they do get away or until they end up succumbing to that particular predator.
Humans continue to be one of the biggest problems for these animals. The land that they were once able to completely call their own is now being taken over by humans. They use it for farming and for allowing cattle or sheep to graze on. They don’t think twice about trapping, killing, and even poisoning these animals in order to keep them away.
Other people hunt them as a source of meat. They have been consuming the Kangaroo for many generations with no thoughts of slowing down at this time. In fact, some of them believe that there are healing powers from consuming the meat this particular animal provides for them.
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