Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-11
A KANGAROO ROUND UP.
How Australian Farmers Slaughter To
Strange Looking Marsupials.

How Australian Farmers Slaughter the
Strange Looking 0darsupials.
A reporter met gentleman recently who
has been largely identified with pastoral IN
terests both in Australia and New Zealand,
and from him some interesting facts were
ascertained in connection with the Efforts OF
antipodean agriculturists to combat fhe
plague Of the long cared pests
"The drive idea" said the gentleman, IS
not entirely new to Australians. They have
for years employed a somewhat similar
method of Kidding pastoral lands Of the de-
structive kangaroo. The usual way was to
build capacious stock yard, with very high
fences, for your able bodied kangaroo is no
SLOUGH at playing leap frog. The location
generally chosen was on the fork Of a river,
for kangaroos are not extra partial to water.
Invitations to the round up would then be
sent to peighboring farmers, and on speci-
fed morning the farmers would all put in an
appearance, mounted, and accompanied by
whatever kangaroo hounds they CHANGED to
possess. Dogs and owners would then get
away back and scatter out in skirmishing or
der until a large section Of country was
covered, and then circumnavigation was in
order, the object point, of course, being the
lofty stock yard.
Pretty soon you would hear the baying of
scores Of hounds, and then the long jumping
marsupials would be seen leaping like gigan-
tic frogs, while the skirmishers would adj
vance and close in steadily and systematic
ally, controlling the hounds the while, so as
to gradually direct the hopping kangaroos to
the desired point. When the mob which on
occasions numbered many hundreds, were
Ill sx> <H<v 90 al
one was sent to close the draw gate on them,
and the fun commenced. The dogs were re-
strained and family relics in the shape Of
blunderbusses and ancient flint locks were
brought into requisition until the last grass
and crop despoiler had bitten the dust"
"Kangaroos make it rough for the hounds
on some occasions, do they notf' asked the
reporter.
"You bet they do. An old man kangaroo
is just as tough bit of mechanism as ever a
dog tackled. When fairly ocrnered he will
place his back against tree or rock and in
vite the best dog in the pack to come on. Old
dogs are wary Of them, and use their best
endeayors to get an ear or neck hold from
behind, but young hound will frequently
rush into tho bayed marsupial's arms, so to
speak, and If he gets away alive he is lucky
The kangaroo will balance himself firmly on
his tail, which is both powerful and springy,
and will clasp the dog around the body with
his hind legs, while he will utilize the sharp
claws Of his fore paws to tear the brute's
stomach. into ribbons and haul his entrails
out
81 remarked before that kangaroos did not
take kindly to water, but when goaded to
desperation on a plain where there are no
trees or rocks in sight to back up against,
they will not hesitate to flop into water
hole, and it is matter Of history that kan
CARGO thus placed has been known to grasp
an attacking hound and hold him under
water until drowned.
'The days of rounding up are pretty well
at an end now, as the governments Of the
different Australian colonies pay so much a
scalp for kangaroos, and this has induced
numbers of hunters to follow the business of
kangaroo shooting. By this means the
troublesome animals are kept dow2, and it is
only question Of a little time when they
will be wholly exterminated. San Francisco
Examiner,