Protective mother

Shirona Farm — 1999-09-02

After exactly 12 days it’s back to the camelfarm. On the way, we stopped at the Shirona Farm in Bodallin. It is a wonderful station with huge estates. While delivering hay to Tom’s camel farm some weeks ago, Ron, the friendly farmer, invited us to spend a few days .It is all about hunting kangaroos and rabbits, and gutting them in a huntsmanlike fashion.

So far I never had to shoot an animal, although I attended a special training in a German elite unit many years ago. In principle I’m against any form of killing, but I understand there have to be exceptions. For example, the population of some kangaroo species in the huge Australian pasture is increasing to a point where only hunting will solve that problem.

For Tanja and me, it will be essential to supplement our diet by hunting, if necessary. For this purpose, we need to know which animals to hunt and how to gut them expertly. Notwithstanding our own attitude towards hunting, we are still forced to learn exactly that.

On the farm we are welcomed with a friendly reception that is beyond words. We are given our own room and enjoy Shirleys wonderful cooking. We also made the exiting acquaintance of a tiny kangaroo baby sleeping all day in a bag of cloth, hanging on the entrance door. Tanja falls in love with that little creature at first sight, and every free minute holds it in her lap like a protective mother.

The accident happened only a week ago. Elvis the kangaroo hound accidentally caught a pregnant kangaroo. We were told that in an emergency the female kangaroo will throw the baby out of her pouch so as to be able to flee fast. After the successful escape she will come back to look for the baby. This way both of them will have a chance of survival, because without the mother the joey ( Australian for kangaroo baby ) would not survive.