The kangaroo /ˌkæŋɡəˈruː/ is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus: the red kangaroo, antilopine kangaroo, eastern grey kangaroo, and western grey kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to Australia. The Australian government estimates that 34.3 million kangaroos lived within the commercial harvest
areas of Australia in 2011, up from 25.1 million one year
earlier. The kangaroo is an unofficial symbol of
Australia and appears as an emblem on the
Australian coat of arms and on some of its
currency and is used by some of Australia's well
known organisations, including Qantas and the Royal
Australian Air Force. The kangaroo is important to both Australian culture and the national image, and consequently there are numerous popular culture references.
Kangaroo