From Kanga and her son Roo inWinnie the Poohto the boxing champ Hippety Hopper who punches Sylvester inLooney Tunes, kangaroos appear frequently in children’s books, cartoons, and songs. They are a favorite animal at zoos, charming yet peculiar-looking with their powerful hind legs, long tails, and pouches. Though kangaroos are beloved in the imagination, but reality of their relationship with humans is darker and more troubled. In this book, John Simon tackles the story of these marsupials—and their use and abuse—in global history.
In addition to describing the kangaroo’s physiology and lifecycle, Simons describes their role in indigenous Australian culture, their ill-fated first contact with Europeans, and their subsequent capture for zoos and relocation to establish wild populations in Japan and the United States. Simons also explores the connections between visual and cultural representations and the current controversy in Australia surrounding kangaroo hunting and eating. Demonstrating how the true diversity of the kangaroo population has frequently been reduced to a single stereotype, this book reveals how such misrepresentations now threaten the future of the species. A book for anyone concerned with animal welfare and conservation,Kangaroois a pouch-sized and fascinating look at these unusual creatures.
John Simonsis executive dean of arts at Macquarie University, Australia, and fellow of the Zoological Society of London and the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics.
1. What is a Kangaroo?
2. The Kangaroo Meets its New Neighbours
3. The Kangaroo at Home
4. The Kangaroo Abroad
5. Tailpiece: The Curious Kangaroo
Timeline of the Kangaroo
References
Select Bibliography
Associations and Websites
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements
Index
“This study, part of a terrific series, is an entertaining, informed, concislcM
![Kangaroo [Paperback]](/itemImage/2/8/3/1/2_5202431.jpg "Kangaroo [Paperback]")