World Kangaroo Day

Certainly one of Australia’s most iconic and recognizable creatures, the kangaroo comes in many shapes and sizes. With an estimated population of 500 million kangaroos living in the wild across the continent, it is important for humans to live harmoniously with these fascinating animals. World Kangaroo Day works to promote the care and protection of these animals as part of a larger effort to care for nature and the planet in sustainable, environmentally-friendly ways. 

History of World Kangaroo Day

World Kangaroo Day was started in 2020 through the collaborative efforts of Kangaroos Alive and the Animal Justice Party with the purpose of raising public awareness about the need that these beautiful and majestic creatures have for protection and care. This day comes with a call for a moratorium on killing kangaroos for commercial use, and the inaugural event was endorsed by famous Australian cricket player and cricket coach Jason “Dizzy” Gillespie. 

Part of the motivation behind starting the day was in response to the devastating bushfires that took place in Australia in late 2019 and early 2020 which killed off many of the kangaroos and other wildlife in the country. In fact, it is estimated that nearly 3 billion koalas, kangaroos and other native animals lost their lives in the fires.

The theme for World Kangaroo Day is “Co-existing with Kangaroos”, encouraging the people of Australia to think about the way that they share their space with these fascinating, powerful creatures.

How to Celebrate World Kangaroo Day

Get hoppin’ along with World Kangaroo Day and celebrate with some of these interesting ideas:

Join the World Kangaroo Day Photo Contest

An excellent way to enjoy and celebrate World Kangaroo Day might be to get involved with the sponsored photo competition. Starting a couple of months before the event, this friendly competition encourages the people of Australia to take nature photographs and submit them. In 2023, the competition was judged by Steve Irwin’s son, Robert Irwin, as well as photographer and publisher Steve Parish. Get more info on the day’s website.  

Adopt the Yuin Declaration for Kangaroos

The Yuin Nation is a native people group from Southern Australia that has created a declaration that speaks to the way that humans should be treating and living in harmony with kangaroos and recognizing them as a living totem. In 2021, an official document was created by Yuin Elder Uncle Max Harrison along with a call for nationwide protections of these animals. World Kangaroo Day encourages communities to adopt the declaration in collaboration, which can be found at the Kangaroos Alive website.  

Enter the World Kangaroo Day Roo Doco Competition

Another event that is hosted and sponsored by World Kangaroo Day is the Roo Doco (Kangaroo Documentary) Competition that encourages people to make a documentary video in under 60 seconds and submit it to the day’s website over the next several months to win prizes, accolades and bragging rights.