The mighty kangaroos of Australia can be found on the nation’s coat of arms as well as their sporting flags. The animals are believed to represent forward progress. It is true that they are one of the most powerful land marsupials and one of the fastest too. They have sharp claws and can kick so hard that a human might even get disemboweled.
But, sometimes, even they need help. And, as shown in a recent video, some of them do know how to say “thanks”! Of course, they cannot speak, but there are some gestures that do not need words.
In a video posted online, a kangaroo can be seen stuck in Canberra’s Lake Burley Griffin. During winter (especially from June till August), the temperature of the water can drop to as low as 0 degrees C.
This video was taken in September, so the temperature may have been as low as 4 degrees C, which may not be freezing but still pretty cold! Plus, it was at the crack of dawn so we can only imagine how cold the water may have been.
Now David Boyd (who posted the video) saw this kangaroo sitting at the edge of the lake. He confirmed that the water was, in fact, -2C (according to Julian Boyd, a Twitter user who had re-shared the video). It looked like the kangaroo was having a tough time figuring out how it could get to dry land.
Fortunately, some brave souls who also noticed the kangaroo decided to help out the creature. They rolled up their pants and stepped into the icy waters to get to the creature. In the video, we can see them slowly creeping up to the kangaroo, lest it gets startled. After getting close enough to grab it, they lift it from behind and try to carry it to the shore. But, as expected, the kangaroo refused to stay calm.
Nevertheless, that did not stop the men from finishing the job. One more man was waiting on the shore to help in the rescue operation. He grabbed the kangaroo and dragged it ashore. The animal could be clearly seen shivering and frightened, but it remained relatively still.
Apart from their fearsome natural power, the animals are also very good swimmers. But this one seemed to be genuinely stuck.
So much so, that after he stood on the shore, the kangaroo appeared to hold out his paw. The men returned the gesture, took his hand, and gave it a firm shake. The man holding the camera could be heard saying, “Aw, he’s thanking you.”
The video ends with the kangaroo still standing there, surrounded by a few people. But Courier Mail reports that after some time it hopped away and did not seem to be injured in any way.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW:
…good on them!