Kangaroos (or wallabies?) in the wild and electrified fences.

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Ten years ago, I first visited New South Wales as a PhD student. Ten years ago, I was using a point-and-shoot camera because I didn't have a digital camera yet. Ten years ago, it was my first time to see marsupials (ever) in the wild... they took on the form of kangaroos or wallabies... I'm not sure. 

Anyway, this photo was taken sometime in October 2006 when Bob Gilbert, my USyd and UQ thesis adviser, took me and other students from other countries into one of the national parks near Boomerang Beach. We stopped by the roadside when these animals were sighted. We got out of the car and stood by the side of the road to continue watching them.


Across the road was a tall metal fence with a warning sign: "Electrified fence. Do not jump." In my head, I thought, who in his right mind would ever think of jumping over a fence that's almost twice as tall as I am?!? 

A few minutes later, one of these kangaroos stood near me, also looking at the tall fence. I was in shock! I was thinking that I'd be kicked! I didn't even think that I should have taken a picture with it! (Because back in the day, the term 'selfie' wasn't coined yet) 

The kangaroo looked at me and then it jumped clear off the electrified fence!

That's when I blurted: "Obviously, the kangaroo didn't know how to follow instructions."

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