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Kangaroos have free run
of an open area in the Australian portion of the Kansas City
Zoological Park called the "outback." This discomfits some
of our visitors who expect to see a fence between them and any kind
of wild animal.
So there I was on a hot summer
morning near the entrance to the Australian exhibit, wearing my
official Docent pith helmet with the patch on the front reading KC
Zoo, my official Docent safari shirt with the logo on the front
reading KC Zoo, and my official Docent name tag reading KC Zoo, when
a visitor walked up to me and said,
"Hey, do you work here?"
My first inclination was to respond,
"No, I am just standing here in the hot sun all dressed up like
Jungle Jim because I don't have the brains that God gave a
goose." Instead, I replied in a proper and courteous
manner, "I am a volunteer, not an employee, but how can I help
you?"
"I just wanted to tell you that
all of your kangaroos have gotten loose."
"Thanks for sharing that
information with me," I replied, "but they are supposed to
be loose."
She gave me a puzzled look and asked,
"Why?"
"So the public can see them
moving around in their native habitat and appreciate their grace and
agility. Notice how efficiently they use a two-legged jumping or
hopping method of locomotion? See the young male racing toward the
billibong? His body remains almost parallel with the ground while
his powerful hind legs drive him forward without wasted motion.
Their elastic fibrous tissues store up and expend energy as they
extend and recoil like powerful springs. These macropods are built
for speed, cruising comfortably and efficiently at about 20 miles
per hour. They can cover 10 or 12 yards in a single bound. However,
they are inefficient when moving slowly. Then they use the
pentapedal method of locomotion to accommodate their short front
legs. The tail acts as a fifth leg. You would never be able to see
that kind of action or make those kinds of comparisons if the
kangaroos were caged."
"Yeah, right, whatever,"
she responded in a disbelieving manner. "What happens if
they run away?"
"Well, they seem to be quite
content here in these surroundings where they get proper food, water
and shelter. None of them have gone over the wall yet. Ha. Ha.
Ha."
Still not totally convinced, she said
in parting, "Well, good luck trying to catch them."
She went off shaking her head in disbelief and joined her husband
who asked her,
"Well, what did you find
out?"
"You were right. Somebody forgot
to close the gate."
"I knew it."
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