Col was looking for something environmentally sympathetic, organic, renewable and bio-degradable and hit on the idea of training a number of the female Eastern Grey Kangaroos living on the Western (upper) Observing Field at Wiruna.
When not carrying a nursing joey, their pouches are warm, with soft leather lining, and with spacer inserts can hold up to four Type-II Naglers, or one 31mm Type-IV Nagler.
Not only are the eyepieces kept comfortably above ambient temperature, but already dewed eyepieces can be dried by being inserted, wrapped in soft tissue paper.
Training was difficult at first, but fortunately the Society located a number of video recordings of old "Skippy" programs which demonstrated to the animals the happy results of Macropod / Human co-operation. Col also practised hopping around Wiruna, to put the animals at their ease.
So as not to push the pace too fast, Kangaroos will not be available for renting to members until after the South Pacific Star Party in 2002. They will be colour-coded, wearing necklaces of LEDs in blue, yellow, green, red and orange. A program for hourly feeding with damp lettuce seems to work best to keep the animals motivated. Some are even being house trained (see photo above).
Animal Rights Organisations have been advised that far from being exploited, the Kangaroos have all been made honorary junior members of the Society, and have all the rights and privileges of human members of he same age, with the additional benefit of being allowed camping and grazing rights at no charge, much to the envy of some of our junior vegetarian members.