Australie Aborigene ancetre totemique kangourou

Kangaroo Kangaroos are marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use, the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...

Wallabies A wallaby () is a small or middle-sized macropod native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand, Hawaii, the United Kingdom and other countries. They belong to the same taxonomic family as kangaroos and som ...

and other

Macropodidae Macropodidae is a Family (biology), family of marsupials that includes kangaroos, Wallaby, wallabies, tree-kangaroos, wallaroos, pademelons, quokkas, and several other groups. These genera are allied to the suborder Macropodiformes, containing ...

have become emblems and symbols of Australia, as well as appearing in popular culture both internationally and within Australia itself. Kangaroos are part of cultural and spiritual significance for many

Indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians are people with familial heritage from, or recognised membership of, the various ethnic groups living within the territory of contemporary Australia prior to History of Australia (1788–1850), British colonisation. The ...

. Since its European discovery, Kangaroos have since become an emblem of Australia, appearing in their coat of arms and in many state and city coat of arms, Australian logos such as the

Qantas Qantas ( ), formally Qantas Airways Limited, is the flag carrier of Australia, and the largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations in Australia and List of largest airlines in Oceania, Oceania. A foundi ...

logo, names of Australian sport teams, mascots such as the '' Boxing Kangaroo'' and in public art. Kangaroos are also well represented in film, television, songs, toys and souvenirs around the world.

European first encounters

The kangaroo was considered a unique oddity when

Captain Cook Captain James Cook (7 November 1728 – 14 February 1779) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer, and cartographer famous for his three voyages of exploration to the Pacific and Southern Oceans, conducted between 1768 and 1779. He complet ...

's HMB ''Endeavour'' arrived back in England in 1771 with a specimen on board. Over time it has come to symbolise Australia and Australian values.

Joseph Banks Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, (19 June 1820) was an English Natural history, naturalist, botanist, and patron of the natural sciences. Banks made his name on the European and American voyages of scientific exploration, 1766 natural-history ...

, the naturalist on the ''Endeavour'' voyage, commissioned

George Stubbs George Stubbs (25 August 1724 – 10 July 1806) was an English painter, best known for his paintings of horses. Self-trained, Stubbs learnt his skills independently from other great artists of the 18th century such as Joshua Reynolds and Thoma ...

to paint a portrait of the kangaroo specimen. When the official account of the voyage was published in 1773, it was illustrated with an engraving of Stubbs' kangaroo. From that time on, the kangaroo quickly came to symbolise the Australian continent, appearing in exhibitions, collections, art and printed works across Europe.

Kangaroo status

It took a long time for the kangaroo to achieve official recognition in Australia. Despite being a "declared noxious animal" because of its reputation for damaging crops and fences and competing with domestic animals for resources, the kangaroo finally achieved official recognition with its inclusion on Australia's coat of arms in 1908. The kangaroo is now popularly regarded as Australia's unofficial animal emblem.

Kangaroo emblems and logos

The kangaroo and

emu The emu (; ''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is a species of flightless bird endemism, endemic to Australia, where it is the Tallest extant birds, tallest native bird. It is the only extant taxon, extant member of the genus ''Dromaius'' and the ...

are bearers on the Australian Coat of Arms. It has been claimed these animals were chosen to signify a country moving 'forward' because of a common belief that neither can move backward. Two red kangaroos serve as bearers to the

Coat of Arms of Western Australia The coat of arms of Western Australia is the official coat of arms of the Australian state of Western Australia. It was granted by a Warrant (law), royal warrant of Elizabeth II, Monarchy of Australia, Queen of Australia dated 17 March 1969. D ...

. Australia's national airline,

, uses a bounding kangaroo for its logo. The kangaroo has always been part of the Qantas logo, and the airline has previously been known informally as "The Flying Kangaroo".

Tourism Australia Tourism Australia is the Australian Government agency responsible for promoting Australian locations as business and leisure travel destinations. The agency is a corporate portfolio agency of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and ...

makes use of the kangaroo in its logo to "help ensure instant recognition for Australia around the world". The Australian Grown logo uses a golden kangaroo in a green triangle to show that a product is made or grown in Australia. The

Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...

roundel A roundel is a circular disc used as a symbol. The term is used in heraldry, but also commonly used to refer to a type of national insignia used on military aircraft, generally circular in shape and usually comprising concentric rings of differ ...

features a bounding red kangaroo. Warships of the

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the navy, naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (Australia), Chief of Navy (CN) Vice admiral (Australia), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond (admiral), Ma ...

have red kangaroo symbols (based on the kangaroo on the reverse of the Australian penny) fixed to either side of their superstructure or funnel. This originated during the Korean War: as the destroyer was repeatedly mistaken for a British warship, her executive officer had a brass 'weathervane' in the shape of a kangaroo made and mounted to the ship's mainmast. The kangaroo is part of the official emblem of the

Royal Australian Regiment The Royal Australian Regiment (RAR) is the parent administrative regiment for regular infantry battalions of the Australian Army and is the senior infantry regiment of the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. It was originally formed in 1948 as a t ...

with a kangaroo in between two

Lee–Enfield The Lee–Enfield is a bolt-action, magazine-fed repeating rifle that served as the main firearm of the military forces of the British Empire and Commonwealth during the first half of the 20th century, and was the standard service rifle of th ...

bolt-action rifles. The Victorian coat of arms includes the upper portion of a kangaroo holding an Imperial Crown in its paws. The red kangaroo is the animal emblem of the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...

. The kangaroo is the official emblem of

Northern Territory Police The Northern Territory Police Force is the police body that has legal jurisdiction over the Northern Territory of Australia. This police service has 1,607 police members (2021-22 financial year) made up of 83 senior sergeants, 228 sergeants, 912 ...

. British clothing and headwear company

Kangol Kangol is a British clothing corporation, company famous for its headwear. The name Kangol reflects the original materials for production, the K coming from the word 'silK' (a recent attribution to 'Knitting' is incorrect), the ANG from 'ANGor ...

, known for its berets, features a kangaroo in its logo. Penny hapenny

Kangaroos and coins

The kangaroo has been featured on coins on the pre-decimal

Australian pound The pound (sign: £, £A for distinction) was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 14 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. Like other £sd currencies, it was subdivided into 20 shillings (denoted by the symbol s o ...

and decimal coins of the

Australian dollar The Australian dollar (currency sign, sign: $; ISO 4217, code: AUD; also abbreviated A$ or sometimes AU$ to distinguish it from other dollar, dollar-denominated currencies; and also referred to as the dollar or Aussie dollar) is the official ...

. The kangaroo appears on the pre-decimal

penny A penny is a coin (: pennies) or a unit of currency (: pence) in various countries. Borrowed from the Carolingian denarius (hence its former abbreviation d.), it is usually the smallest denomination within a currency system. At present, it is ...

and half-penny coins. Five kangaroos are featured on the one dollar coin.

Kangaroo mascots in Australia

The ''boxing kangaroo'' – mascot for the

Australia II ''Australia II'' (KA 6) is an Australian 12-metre-class America's Cup challenge racing yacht that was launched in 1982 and won the 1983 America's Cup for the Royal Perth Yacht Club. Skippered by John Bertrand, she was the first successf ...

team in the 1983

America's Cup The America's Cup is a sailing competition and the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one from the yacht club that currently holds the trophy (known ...

. This rendition of the kangaroo has become a sporting icon, known informally as the green and gold "Sporting Kangaroo", and is highly popular with cricket crowds and international sporting events which feature Australian participation. ''Matilda'', the mascot at the

1982 Commonwealth Games The 1982 Commonwealth Games were held in Brisbane, Australia, from 30 September to 9 October 1982. The Opening Ceremony was held at the QEII Stadium (named after Elizabeth II), in the Brisbane suburb of Nathan. The QEII Stadium was also the ...

held in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, Australia, was represented by both
cartoon kangaroo
and a 13-metre high (42 feet 8 inches) mechanical kangaroo (which

wink A wink is a facial expression made by briefly closing one eye. A wink is an informal mode of non-verbal communication usually signaling shared hidden knowledge or intent. However, it is ambiguous by itself and highly dependent upon additional c ...

ed at the spectators during the opening and closing ceremonies). The 'medal', which was worn by both the cartoon and mechanical versions of ''Matilda'', features th
1982 Commonwealth Games logo
— a stylised representation of a kangaroo bounding (in "flight") – similar to the pose of the kangaroo featured on the pre-decimal half-penny coin. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, pet kangaroos and toy kangaroos were a popular choice of mascot for Australian servicemen. Carlton club

Architectural references

The first uses of Kangaroo ornaments as architectural expression appeared during the Victorian era. This was at first limited to the use of the coat of arms on buildings; however, kangaroos soon became used as decorative motifs on their own in some commercial buildings, particularly in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

. It was the

Federation architecture Federation architecture is the architectural style in Australia that was prevalent from around 1890 to 1915. The name refers to the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901, when the British colonies of Australia collectively became the Commonw ...

, however, which brought native ornamentation into the mainstream, so that kangaroos began to be mass-produced as ornamentation on domestic houses in the large cities, as part of an Australiana movement and effort to create a uniquely Australian style. Examples of this decoration include the ornamental

terracotta Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta (; ; ), is a clay-based non-vitreous ceramic OED, "Terracotta""Terracotta" MFA Boston, "Cameo" database fired at relatively low temperatures. It is therefore a term used for earthenware obj ...

tile capping on residential roofs. Reproduction products using Kangaroos are still used today.

Public art and sculpture

Kangaroo motifs have been used as a form of public art. Notable examples include: *Victorian lamp post (1880) in front of the

Royal Exhibition Building The Royal Exhibition Building is a World Heritage Site, UNESCO World Heritage-listed building in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, built in 1879–1880 as part of the international exhibition movement, which presented over 50 exhibitions between ...

at the

Carlton Gardens The Carlton Gardens is a World Heritage Site, UNESCO World Heritage Site located on the northeastern edge of the Melbourne central business district, Central Business District in the suburb of Carlton, Victoria, Carlton, Melbourne, in the stat ...

Carlton, Victoria Carlton is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, three kilometres north of the Melbourne central business district within the city of Melbourne local government area. Carlton recorded a population of 16,055 at the 2021 census. ...

*Petrie Tableaux sculpture (1989). In front of

Brisbane City Hall Brisbane City Hall, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, is the seat of the Brisbane City Council. It is located adjacent to King George Square, where the rectangular City Hall has its main entrance. The City Hall also has frontages and entran ...

King George Square King George Square is a town square, public square located between Adelaide Street, Brisbane, Adelaide Street and Ann Street, Brisbane, Ann Street (and between two sections of Albert Street, Brisbane, Albert Street) in Brisbane, Queensland, A ...

by Stephen Walker *Perth kangaroo sculptures (1996, 1997 & 2000).

St Georges Terrace St Georges Terrace (colloquially known as "The Terrace") is the main street in the city of Perth, Western Australia. It runs parallel to the Swan River and forms the major arterial thoroughfare through the central business district. Its ...

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

, by Anne Neil, Joan Walsh-Smith, Charles Smith *City Roo sculptures (1999). George Street, Brisbane,

– made from scrap metal by Christopher Trotter *Eastern grey kangaroo sculpture in the

City Botanic Gardens The City Botanic Gardens (formerly the Brisbane Botanic Gardens) is a heritage-listed botanic garden on Alice Street, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was also known as Queen's Park. It is located on Gardens Poi ...

*Kangaroo and joey sculpture at Queens Park in

Ipswich, Queensland Ipswich () is an urban centre within the City of Ipswich in South East Queensland, Australia. Situated on the Bremer River (Queensland), Bremer River, it is approximately 40 km (25 mi) west of the Brisbane central business district. Ipswich is ...

File:Melbourne Royal Exhibition - East Buildings.jpg, Kangaroo ornaments on a Victorian lamp post at the

File:City_Hall_sculpture.jpg, Petrie Tableaux sculpture in front of

File:CityRoos kangaroo sculpture 1.jpg, One of the ''City Roo'' sculptures in George Street, Brisbane File:Kangaroo sculpture at Brisbane City Botanic Gardens.jpg, Eastern Grey kangaroo sculpture in the

File:Kangaroo-and-joey-sculpture_at_Queens_Park_in_Ipswich.jpg, Kangaroo and joey sculpture at Queens Park in

Decorative arts and design

An early depiction of a kangaroo on an item of decorative art is the Macintosh & Degraves Token Shilling 1823. Another early example is the Garret salver. This item of

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

n colonial silver incorporates a kangaroo, an emu and wattle branches in its design. The kangaroo has continued to be incorporated into decorative designs by craftspeople and designers in Australia and elsewhere in the world. The Terence Lane kangaroo collection at the

National Museum of Australia The National Museum of Australia (NMA), in the national capital Canberra, preserves and interprets Australia's social history, exploring the key issues, people and events that have shaped the nation. It was formally established by the ''Nation ...

consists of more than 150 objects and ephemera in a wide range of styles produced over a period of 150 years. The collection ranges from a one-metre-high Doulton ceramic kangaroo umbrella stand to small items of jewellery.

Cultural references

Kangaroos are extremely well represented in

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

song A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...

toy A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and p ...

s and

souvenir A souvenir ( French for 'a remembrance or memory'), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and trans ...

s around the world.

Television and films

Skippy the Bush Kangaroo ''Skippy the Bush Kangaroo'' (known commonly as ''Skippy'') is an Australian television series created by Australian actor John McCallum, Lionel (Bob) Austin, and Lee Robinson, produced from 1967 to 1969 (airing from 5 February 1968 to 4 May 1 ...

, star of the 1960s Australian children's television series. '' Wake in Fright'' is a 1971 movie which includes a controversial kangaroo hunting scene containing graphic footage of kangaroos actually being shot. In a more comical vein, the 1986 film '' Crocodile Dundee'' features a scene in which the title character frightens away kangaroo hunters by making them think that a kangaroo is shooting back at them. '' Matilda'' is a 1978 movie starring

Elliott Gould Elliott Gould (; né Goldstein; born August 29, 1938) is an American actor. Gould's breakthrough role was in the film ''Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice'' (1969), for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The ...

about a promoter working with a kangaroo. Kangaroo Jack is the title character of an American film of the same name. A giant kangaroo is featured in the movie '' Welcome to Woop Woop.'' The Hallmark Properties television series '' Zoobilee Zoo'' has a character named Whazzat Kangaroo (the Canadian actress and singer Stephanie Louise "Stevie" Vallance plays this role).

Songs

Kangaroos are mentioned, or featured, in the

Rolf Harris Rolf Harris (30 March 1930 – 10 May 2023) was an Australian musician, television personality, painter, and actor. He used a variety of instruments in his performances, notably the didgeridoo and the Stylophone, and is credited with the inventi ...

songs " Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" and "Six White Boomers". Kangaroos are also mentioned in the Peter Allen song "Tenterfield Saddler". Kangaroos are also mentioned in

Holden Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. Founded in Adelaide, it was an automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter that sold cars under its own marque in Australia. It was ...

jingle "Football, meat pies, kangaroos and Holden cars". Kangaroos are also mentioned in the songs "Christmas Where The Gum Trees Grow", "Christmas in the Scrub" and "The Five Days of Christmas".

Books

There is a "Sour Kangaroo" in the Dr. Seuss tale ''

Horton Hears a Who! ''Horton Hears a Who!'' is a children's book written and illustrated by Theodor Seuss Geisel under the pen name Dr. Seuss. It was published in 1954 by Random House. This book tells the story of Horton the Elephant and his adventures saving Who ...

''. Kanga and Roo are

fictional Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying character (arts), individuals, events, or setting (narrative), places that are imagination, imaginary or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent ...

mother and son kangaroos in the popular series of children's books about

Winnie-the-Pooh Winnie-the-Pooh (also known as Edward Bear, Pooh Bear or simply Pooh) is a fictional Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic teddy bear created by English author A. A. Milne and English illustrator E. H. Shepard. Winnie-the-Pooh first appeared by ...

. Kidding Kangaroo in the ''

Sweet Pickles ''Sweet Pickles'' is a series of 40 children's books by Ruth Lerner Perle, Jacquelyn Reinach, and Richard Hefter and published by Holt, Rinehart & Winston, which have sold over 50 million copies. The books are set in the fictional town of Sweet ...

'' book series by Ruth Lerner Perle, Jacquelyn Reinach and Richard Hefter. One of the several intelligent races described in the fantasy novel '' Shadowkeep,'' written by

Alan Dean Foster Alan Dean Foster (born November 18, 1946) is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction. He has written several book series, more than 20 standalone novels, and many novelizations of film scripts. Career ''Star Wars'' Foster was the ghost ...

, are high-bounding, fun-loving marsupials, known as "roos" and obviously meant to be intelligent kangaroos. A kangaroo is shot and killed by

Ernest Ernest is a given name derived from the Germanic languages, Germanic word ''ernst'', meaning "serious", often shortened to Ernie. Notable people and fictional characters with the name include: People *Archduke Ernest of Austria (1553–1595), ...

in ''

The Swiss Family Robinson ''The Swiss Family Robinson'' (German: ''Der Schweizerische Robinson'', "The Swiss Robinson") is a novel by the Swiss author Johann David Wyss, first published in 1812, about a Swiss family of immigrants whose ship en route to Port Jackson, Aus ...

,'' a

book A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, ...

written by Johann Wyss.

Cartoons

Kiko the Kangaroo is a recurring character in the ''

Terrytoons Terrytoons, Inc. was an American animation studio headquartered in New Rochelle, New York, which was active from 1929 until its closure in December 1972 (and briefly returned between 1987 and 1996 for television in-name only). Founded by Paul Te ...

'' cartoons. Kanga and Roo are

mother and son kangaroos in the popular series of cartoons about

. A team of kangaroo

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

players feature in the French cartoon series '' Kangoo'' and its

spin-off Spin-off, Spin Off, Spin-Off, or Spinoff may refer to: Entertainment and media *Spinoff (media), a media work derived from an existing work *''The Spinoff'', a New Zealand current affairs magazine * ''Spin Off'' (Canadian game show), a 2013 Canad ...

prequel A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work. The term ...

'' Kangoo Juniors''. In several ''

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American media franchise produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The franchise began as a series of animated short films that originally ran from 1930 to 1969, alongside its spin-off series ''Merrie Melodies'', during t ...

''/''

Merrie Melodies ''Merrie Melodies'' is an American animated comedy short film series distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was part of the ''Looney Tunes'' franchise and featured many of the same characters. Originally running from August 2, 1931, to Septem ...

'' cartoons,

Sylvester the Cat Sylvester J. Pussycat Sr. is a fictional character, an anthropomorphic Bicolor cat, cat in the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons. Most of his appearances have him often chasing Tweety Bird, Speedy Gonzales, or Hippety Hop ...

is beaten up by Hippety Hopper the baby kangaroo, who always accomplishes this feat after escaping from the captivity of humans who have attempted to take him to a

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility where animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoology, ...

in assorted American cities and whom Sylvester believes to be a giant

mouse A mouse (: mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus'' ...

. In '' Tom and Jerry: The Fast and the Furry'', the commentators are holding a kangaroo by the leash when the racers reach

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. In the British punk style comic strips ''

Tank Girl Tank Girl is a British comic created by Alan Martin (writer), Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett. It first appeared in print in 1988 in the British comics magazine ''Deadline (magazine), Deadline'', and then in the solo comic book series ''Tank Girl' ...

'', the protagonist's boyfriend is Booga, the mutant anthro-kangaroo. There are some other minor kangaroo characters. In the U.S. movie ''

'', slightly based on the comic strips, the protagonist is assisted by Rippers – mutant kangaroo genetically engineered supersoldiers (and Booga is among them, of course). Rocko the wallaby in ''

Rocko's Modern Life ''Rocko's Modern Life'' is an American Television comedy, comedy animated television series created by Joe Murray (animator), Joe Murray for Nickelodeon. The series centers on the surreal life of an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic Australian ...

''. '' Dot and the Kangaroo'' was a cartoon juxtaposed on a film of the Australian bush. In ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...

'' episode " Bart vs. Australia", Homer and Bart try to escape from a crowd in the pouches of two kangaroos, which they ultimately cannot because of the kangaroos' pouches being filled with mucus. In ''

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog ''Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog'' is an American animated television series. It is based on the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' video game series, produced by Sega of America, DIC Animation City, Bohbot Entertainment and the Italian studio Reteital ...

'', there is a kangaroo named MacHopper, who is also a parody of Crocodile Dundee, another Australian icon. In the '' Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil'' episode "Bwar and Peace", Brad talks about his Australian self, who afterward was punched, and the kangaroo appears before and during his wedding with the girl he is with. Kick also interacted with the kangaroo. In the fifth season of ''

The Flintstones ''The Flintstones'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera, Hanna-Barbera Productions, which takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighbors, the R ...

'', the Rubbles adopt Hoppy, a pet hoparoo (a Stone Age version of a kangaroo) from Down Under, for Bamm-Bamm.

Aussie hair products from

Procter & Gamble The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/con ...

sports a kangaroo hopping on its label, while the magazine and television ads display an animatronic purple kangaroo in them. Dunkaroos are a snack in the U.S. which used to feature a talking kangaroo in commercials and on product containers.

Video games and other games

Roo is a fighting kangaroo in the

Sega Genesis The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Sys ...

video game '' Streets of Rage 3''. Ripper Roo, a crazy kangaroo in a straitjacket, is a boss character and antagonist of the video game series ''

Crash Bandicoot ''Crash Bandicoot'' is a video game franchise originally developed by Naughty Dog as an exclusive for Sony's PlayStation console. It has seen numerous installments created by various developers and published on multiple platforms. The series c ...

''. Kao the Kangaroo and its sequels are a Polish video game series involving a yellow/orange kangaroo in a boxing uniform as its protagonist. Sheila, a female kangaroo of the video game series '' Spyro the Dragon''.

Roger Roger is a masculine given name, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic languages">Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") ...

the boxing kangaroo from the ''

Tekken is a Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting games developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment (formerly Namco). The franchise also includes film and print adaptations. The main games in the series follow the events ...

'' series of video games. In the Game Boy Color games '' The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons'' and '' The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages'', there is a kangaroo by the name of Ricky which will help you in your quest. In ''

Mortal Kombat Trilogy ''Mortal Kombat Trilogy'' is a fighting game released by Midway Games, Midway in 1996 as the second and final update to ''Mortal Kombat 3'' (the first being ''Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3'') for the PlayStation (console), PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Se ...

'', Johnny Cage turns into a kangaroo. In the ''

Bomberman is a video game Media franchise, franchise created by Shinichi Nakamoto and Shigeki Fujiwara, originally developed by Hudson Soft and currently owned by Konami. The Bomberman (1983 video game), original game, also known as ''Bakudan Otoko'' (� ...

'' games, the animals which hatch from eggs are called Rooi and they are based on kangaroos. The ''

Animal Crossing is a social simulation video game series developed and published by Nintendo. It was created by Katsuya Eguchi and Hisashi Nogami. The player character is a human who lives in a village inhabited by various anthropomorphic animals and can ...

'' series features kangaroos as possible neighbours. There are at least three homonymous

fairy chess pieces A fairy chess piece, variant chess piece, unorthodox chess piece, or heterodox chess piece is a chess piece not used in conventional chess but incorporated into certain chess variants and some unorthodox chess problems, known as fairy chess. Compar ...

called kangaroo.

Others

Austin of ''

The Backyardigans ''The Backyardigans'' ( ) is an animated musical children's television series created by Janice Burgess for Nickelodeon. The series was written and recorded at Nickelodeon Animation Studio. It centers on five anthropomorphic animal neighbors ...

'' is a young kangaroo. In ''

Warriors of Virtue ''Warriors of Virtue'' is a 1997 martial arts fantasy film directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Ronny Yu in his American English-language directorial debut, written by Michael Vickerman and Hugh Kelley, and starring Angus Macfadyen, Mario Yedidia, a ...

'', the five main heroes are kangaroos. In the ''

Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...

'' franchise, '' Kangaskhan'' is a Normal type based on a kangaroo with reptilian features. ''Breloom'', a Grass and Fighting type, is also partly based on a kangaroo with mushroom and boxing features. In the anime and manga series ''

Reborn! ''Reborn!'', known in Japan as and also as ''Hitman Reborn!'' for disambiguation purposes, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Amano. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from M ...

'' the character Ryohei Sasagawa has a kangaroo in one of his ring boxes that enables healing and advances abilities of others. Chimera Punch, a kangaroolike monster in ''

Tokyo Mew Mew is a Japanese manga series created and written by Reiko Yoshida and illustrated by Mia Ikumi. It was originally serialized in Kodansha's ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from September 2000 to February 2003, with its chapters ...

''.

Kangaroos and sporting teams

The kangaroo features prominently in sport. Australian sports teams with nicknames derived from the kangaroo (and

wallaby A wallaby () is a small or middle-sized Macropodidae, macropod native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand, Hawaii, the United Kingdom and other countries. They belong to the same Taxonomy (biology), taxon ...

) include the following:

Australia

Australian national teams

The

Australian national rugby league team The Australian national rugby league team, the Kangaroos, have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competitions since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League Comm ...

is nicknamed the ''Kangaroos''. The

Australia national rugby union team The Australia men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Wallabies, is the representative men's national team in the sport of rugby union for Australia. The Wallabies first played at Sydney in 1899, winning their first Test match (rugby u ...

is nicknamed the ''Wallabies''. The

Australia national association football team Australia national soccer team most commonly refers to: * Australia men's national soccer team * Australia women's national soccer team Australia national soccer team may also refer to: * Australia men's national soccer B team * Australia men's na ...

(men's) is nicknamed the ''Socceroos''. The Australia national under-23 football team plays

Football at the Summer Olympics Association football has been included in every Summer Olympic Games as a men's competition sport, except 1896 (the inaugural Games) and 1932 (in an attempt to promote the new FIFA World Cup tournament). Women's football was added to the offic ...

and is nicknamed ''Olyroos''. The Australia national under-20 football team is nicknamed the ''Young Socceroos'' The

Australia national under-17 football team The Australia national under-17 soccer team, known as the Joeys or Subway Joeys for sponsorship reasons, represents Australia in men's international under-17 soccer. The team is controlled by the governing body for Football in Australia, Foot ...

is the ''Joeys'' The Australian Women's field hockey team is nicknamed the ''Hockeyroos''. The Australian national ice hockey team is nicknamed the ''Mighty Roos''. The Australian men's national basketball team is nicknamed the ''Boomers''.

Australian domestic teams

The

North Melbourne Football Club The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos or colloquially the Roos, is a professional Australian rules football club. The men's team competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), and the women's team in the AFL Women's (AF ...

in the

Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the pre-eminent professional sports, professional competition of Australian rules football. It was originally named the Victorian Football League (VFL) and was founded in 1896 as a breakaway competition ...

is nicknamed the ''Kangaroos''. Perth Kangaroos IFC

United States

''Kasey Kangaroo'' is the mascot for the

University of Missouri–Kansas City The University of Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC or Kansas City) is a Public university, public research university in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. UMKC is part of the University of Missouri System and has a UMKC School of Medicine, medic ...

, whose sports teams were historically known as the UMKC Kangaroos but rebranded as the Kansas City Roos in 2019. ''Zippy'' the kangaroo is the mascot for The University of Akron, athletically the

Akron Zips The Akron Zips are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio, United States. The Zips compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the NCAA Division I, Division I level as a memb ...

. The kangaroo is the mascot for Austin College in

Sherman, Texas Sherman is a city in and the county seat of Grayson County, Texas, United States. The city's population in 2020 was 43,645. It is one of the two principal cities in the Sherman–Denison metropolitan area, Sherman–Denison metropolitan statist ...

The kangaroo is the mascot for Terryville High School in Terryville, Connecticut ''Lizzie'' (a purple and white kangaroo) is the mascot of

Lake Washington High School Lake Washington High School (LWHS) is a four-year public high school in Kirkland, Washington, a suburb east of Seattle. History and facilities Lake Washington opened as Kirkland High School (also called Union “A” High School) in 1922, the ...

Kirkland, Washington Kirkland is a city in King County, Washington, United States. A suburb east of Seattle, its population was 92,175 in the 2020 U.S. census which made it the sixth largest city in King County and the twelfth largest city in the state of Washington. ...

''Stomper'' is the mascot for the professional wrestling promotion

Impact Wrestling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busine ...

. The kangaroo is the mascot for State University of New York at Canton in Canton (town), New York The kangaroo is the mascot for

Wilmington Friends School Wilmington Friends School is a private Preschool- 12 school in unincorporated New Castle County, Delaware, United States, near Wilmington. It is affiliated with the Society of Friends, also known as the Quakers. History The school was founded ...

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...

''Moe the Kangaroo'' is the mascot for

Virginia Military Institute The Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is a public senior military college in Lexington, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1839 as America's first state military college and is the oldest public senior military college in the U.S. In k ...

Lexington, Virginia Lexington is an Independent city (United States)#Virginia, independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, Virg ...

. However, VMI's sports teams are known as the VMI Keydets. Nashville Kangaroos The kangaroo is the mascot for Killeen High School in

Killeen, Texas Killeen is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Bell County. According to the 2020 census, its population was 153,095, making it the 19th-most populous city in Texas and the largest of the three principal cities of Bell County. It is ...

. Weatherford, Texas High School's mascot is the Kangaroos

Abington Friends School Abington Friends School is an independent Quaker school in Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a Jenkintown postal address. Serving students from age 3 to grade 12, Abington Friends School has stood on its or ...

, in Abington, Pennsylvania, has a kangaroo named Roo as its mascot.

Other countries

The Samoa national Australian rules football team is nicknamed the ''Kangaroos''. The FC Bohemians Praha, a

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

team is nicknamed the ''Klokani'' (

for kangaroos) since their tour in

in 1927. Etobicoke Kangaroos Vienna Kangaroos

Place names

The kangaroo has inspired a number of place names in Australia. They include:

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

* Kangaroo Point * Kangaroo Point – (Brooklyn) * Kangaroo River – (Clarence Valley) * Kangaroo River – (Shoalhaven) * Kangaroo Valley

Kangaroo Island Kangaroo Island (, ) is Australia's third-largest island, after Tasmania and Melville Island, Northern Territory, Melville Island. It lies in the state of South Australia, southwest of Adelaide. Its closest point to the mainland is Snapper Poi ...

* Kangaroo Point * Kangaroo Point Cliffs * Kangaroo River

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

Kangaroo Creek Reservoir Kangaroo Creek Reservoir is a artificial water storage reservoir in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia. It was built from 1966 to 1969, by damming the River Torrens west of Cudlee Creek. The stored water is used to maintain the Hope Valley Re ...

* Kangaroo Flat *

* East Kangaroo Island *

Victoria * Kangaroo Flat * Kangaroo Ground

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

References

{{Heraldic creatures Marsupials in popular culture Sports mascots Heraldic beasts Mythological marsupials