Ready For Baby

At 20 months old, Indie came into season.

I woke in the middle of the night to unusual sounds outside my window. When I flicked on the lights, there was Leo, the alpha male of the mob, mating with my precious Indie. She looked so tiny in his arms, and he was so focused on his mission that he didn’t even notice me. I quietly turned the lights back off and waited.

When he finally moved on, I opened the door and sat on the bench. Indie came straight over and rested her head and hand in my lap. She was exhausted… and very happy to have some mumma cuddles.

The next day, Indie smelled so different that Max decided he should become a daddy too. He was far too young for that, but that didn’t stop him from trying. Maxie really wasn’t quite big enough, but his excitement was real.

An important part of kangaroo courtship is the gentle tickling of the tail. The males use this to show their interest and to test whether the female is receptive. Females can only conceive at specific times, and when they are in season, their scent changes.

The males will even taste the female’s pee to determine whether she is ready to mate—a natural behaviour that helps ensure successful reproduction and saves the female from unwanted attention when she’s not ready.