Did you know that kangaroos can’t walk backwards?
Let’s define walking. What is walking?
Walking is defined as moving at a regular pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn, never having both feet off the ground at once.
Ok, so I’ve seen kangaroos take a short hop back when in a fight but it seems like they’re moving like a pendulum limited by their large tail which acts as a stabilizing point. I haven’t seen one take an entirely deliberate jump back as a way to get from point A to point B.
Kangaroos are amazing though at moving forward. That’s where they excel in.
A kangaroo can cover a distance of 45 feet in one bound! It also has amazing side-to-side motion which can be used for evading predators.
But then again, I haven’t really heard much of kangaroos being predated by other animals. Save for humans, they don’t seem to have any natural enemies in the wild.
And normally, kangaroos put up a fight. They can box really good and give a mean kick to the mid-section. Smaller animals stand no chance against an enraged kangaroo.
Kangaroos are also at their most dangerous when cornered or protecting their young.
So, so what if kangaroos can’t walk backwards?
That’s actually one of the reasons why kangaroos are featured as one of the two animals in the Australian Coat of Arms or Commonwealth Coat of Arms. Their inability to move backwards symbolizes Australia’s motto to always move forward.
The other animal on the coat of arms is an emu.
And guess why it’s there.
Yep, it can’t walk backwards either.
Kind of cool that a manner of movement that seems to limit an animal is viewed as a symbol of strength and progression by an entire country.
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