Expedition 🇦🇺 Australia

Kangaroo in Australia

The bounder of the red centre — a marsupial that crosses the outback in leaps and carries its joey in a built-in pouch.

Kangaroo

The species

The red kangaroo is the largest living marsupial and an emblem of Australia. Males — 'big reds' — can stand two metres tall and cover eight metres in a single hop, using their massive tail as a balance and a third leg when sitting.

Habitat in Australia

Arid and semi-arid grassland across the Australian interior suits red kangaroos. They need open plains for grazing and shade from heat, and are common across the outback, though eastern grey kangaroos dominate coastal regions.

Where to spot one

  • Great Ocean Road

    Victoria

    Coastal eucalyptus forest and Kennett River's wild koalas — one of the most reliable places to spot them in the wild.

  • Kangaroo Island

    South Australia

    Kangaroos, koalas, and sea lions on an island sanctuary off Adelaide — compact Australian wildlife in one place.

  • Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

    Northern Territory

    Red centre country where red kangaroos graze at dawn against the backdrop of Uluru.

  • Daintree Rainforest

    Queensland

    Ancient tropical forest at the edge of the Great Barrier Reef — cassowaries, tree kangaroos, and forest birds.

Conservation status

LCLeast Concern

Red kangaroos are Least Concern and abundant across central Australia. Commercial harvesting is regulated, and populations fluctuate with rainfall.

Free on iOS

Log the Kangaroo in Australia

Spot one in the wild — scan it in Catch'Um to log your common discovery.