Swamp Wallabies are a type of small kangaroo (macropod) found in eastern Australia. I see them relatively often when I’m out walking through the bushland areas in the early morning. Recently, the number of wallabies in my area of Sydney seems to have grown: at any rate, I see them more often I did than a few years ago.

This morning, I saw this mother at Manly Dam park, with a little one in her pouch:

Swamp Wallabies are also called Black Wallabies. They’re relatively small, reaching up to my chest when they stand on their haunches. Their colour ranges from very dark grey to a lighter grey, with reddish patches around the ears and on the underbelly.

They’re marsupials. The little one, called a joey, stays in the pouch for around eight months, until it can live independently. In the picture above, you can see its head peeking out of the pouch.

In the next picture, the joey was withdrawing into the pouch. Only one ear and part of its face are visible:

Here’s a short video showing the mother moving around and eating leaves while the youngster looks out at the world:

Generally, wallabies are quite timid and will move away when you approach them along a path. A few days ago, though, I came across one individual who squared up to me and held his ground. This was in a different area of Sydney, on a harbour walk near Balgowlah. The path passed within four metres of the wallaby. It’s breeding season at the moment, and I was probably getting a little close for comfort. I certainly felt a little uncomfortable too, as the animal rose up, turned to face me, and swished its strong tail through the undergrowth to get purchase for a potential fight: