Red kangaroos live in small mixed groups led by a dominant male. They spend the hottest hours of the day in shady spots and start looking for food at dusk.

During the breeding season, the male enhances his colouring with dark, odorous secretions produced by glands in his neck, which he spreads over his back and chest. He does not hesitate to defend his status by confronting rivals: leaning on his tail, he punches and kicks at once.

The tiny embryo weighs no more than a gram when it leaves the womb to join the pouch. It will spend the first seven months of its life there, clinging tightly to one of the four teats. Then, gradually, "Joey" (the name given to young kangaroos) will explore the outside world and leave this refuge for good at 9 months.

By storing already fertilised eggs, the female can become pregnant again even without mating. The last-born will then join the pouch while another is still feeding there. But don't worry, the milk secreted by each teat is adapted to the different ages of the young!

The red kangaroo is the largest of the marsupials. It belongs to the Macropodidae family ("big feet"). Its muscular tail acts as a support on the ground and a balance when it moves. Its legs act like springs: it can reach speeds of over 60 km/h without expending much energy, and its successive leaps can reach over 3 m high and 9 m long!

The etymology of the word "kangaroo" is uncertain, but it probably comes from an Aboriginal language. The story goes that when navigator James Cook discovered the northern Australian coastline, he asked the Aborigines about it. "Kan gu-ru" was the reply... which actually meant "I don't understand!"

The red kangaroo is protected but competes with livestock, and hunting it is permitted under state control, which sets quotas. Its skin is used in the leather and fur industry. Its meat, rich in protein and low in fat, is used in both human and animal consumption.