European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 22, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Doniki Moo Ozine easy rider a four or five month old Wallaroo peeks at the world. In. Eight hours every Day Australia zoologist David Croft lurks among the Mulga scrub and Sal Bush near fowlers Gap Field station in new South Wales watching a group of kangaroos socializing after their own special fashion. It a hard for him to be inconspicuous seven the slightest move sends Hocks of galas. Or Roseate cockatoos squawking . Croft s Effort to observe the social behaviour of the Large kangaroos of that area the red Kanga Roo and the euro or Wallaroo is one of Many studies now under Way aimed at gaining an understanding of the animal that has become the Symbol of  work bears on the Long term future of the Kanga Roos and other marsupials whether for example the smaller species can be preserved As livestock grazing eliminates their habitats or whether some killing of the larger ones should be permitted. W1h it be possible and practicable As Many conservationists Hope to pasture the kangaroos and livestock Side by Side who eats what on the vast Plains and intervening ridges in the australian out Back they have numerous shrubs and some 40 Spe Des of grass to choose from. There Are already indications that in Normal times the Kangaroo diet does not greatly overlap that of sheep. But As Terry j. Dawson head of the school of zoology at the University of new South Wales puts it. In a severe drought both species will eat  and other researchers have already shown that the Kangaroo the Only Large remaining Marsupial has been Able to survive through a number of extraordinary adaptations. These relate to its locomotion its re production and its frugal use of water. Working at Harvard University with c. R.  has shown that kangaroos can hop at 20 to 25 Miles an hour with less Energy expenditure than any run Ning animal of comparable size. The tests were done by training kangaroos to hop on a Treadmill and Wear an apparatus recording their oxygen consumption. At a slow Pace walking with their Tail As a fifth foot the animals were slow and inefficient. Above 30 or mile an hour their efficiency was also below that of animals that run. But at the intermediate velocities where they Are Superior they hop at a fixed rate varying their speedy changing the length of their hops. Only in a sprint does the hop rate go up and the efficiency go Down. The animals also proved to have body temperature control that Dawson suspects is better than that of any other mammal. They Cool themselves by panting sweat ing and forearm Licking. The forearms have been found to be Rich in blood vessels which Are cooled by the lick ing. As soon As they Stop for Good according to  sweating stops and Cooling is by panting alone. Cooling the lungs by panting evaporates less water than sweating and the Cooling effect is internal where it is most , he says require Only one Quarter As much water per body weight As their rivals in their Environ ment the sheep and wild goats. This helps them to Cope with prolonged  Quality is an ability to reproduce rapidly once a catastrophic drought has ended. It has been found that the female Kangaroo can have three offspring in the  it can none simultaneously two  separate nipples within its Pouch provide different milk for Mulas suited to each. A newly bom infant Little More developed than a mid term human fetus will be glued to one nipple that swells to form an inseparable attachment to the off Spring. At the same time an ambulatory offspring or Joey will periodically reach into the Pouch to drink formula suited to its needs from another nipple. As noted by Dawson a third offspring can also be inthe pipeline As a dormant blastocyst the earliest stage of embryo development. Pregnancy does not turn off the reproductive Cycle so that a Kangaroo can become impregnated while  an infant is born and milk production begins however the Cycle stops. If a blastocyst is waiting in the wings it can remain dormant for about 200 Days it then begins rapid gestation and is bom within 30  Region around the fowlers Gap station consists of vast Plains where the red kangaroos live traversed Bridges and Low Hills that Are the habitat of the euros. It is also the Western limit of the Eastern Gray Kangaroo Range. Croft is watching euros in a series of Gorges that Cut through the Ridge. Croft monitors the kangaroos courtship feeding habits jousting and other pursuits. They Greet one another Clinch and wrestle with their Small for feet mane vering until they can Rock Back on their tails and strike out with their extremely powerful Hin feet. This produces a thwack that can be heard up to two Hundred Yards away. But As Eleanor Russell also with the University of new South Wales research group put sit. The fighting is very  none of the re searchers could remember seeing any animal leave fight seriously injured. Typical of Kangaroo behaviour that has won them a reputation for stupidity is the manner in which they respond to capture and tagging. Instead of fleeing afterwards they sometimes linger to watch the next one wrestled to  of the kangaroos seem to stake out and defend a Home territory As do Many other animals. Nor do the groups follow one or More leaders. The Only Strong Bond Between them appears to be Between a Mother and it Joey although on a drive across the Bush one often sees male female  interviews with a number of australian wildlife specialists none suggested that the species of Large Kanga Roo Are currently endangered. Not All. However favored killing some of them. Those supporting such a policy argue that this would increase productivity of the land and prevent Kangaroo overpopulation. Except in periods of drought kangaroos eat somewhat different pasturage from cattle and sheep. Opponents question whether legalized Bunting of kangaroos can be adequately controlled. The Issue is emotional for the animal is the most widely use australian National Symbol because of Australia s Federal Structure control Over the Hunting had to be exerted by each state. In 1973, How Ever the Federal government banned All Export of Kanga Roo products until allegations of their threatened extinction could be  the View of Peter Crowcroft. Head of Laronga Park zoo in Sydney and a specialist on marsupials the gun snot the chief enemy of the Kangaroo. It is removal of the environment whereby it  you shot an animal he said in a recent interview you make room for another to live. If you destroy it habitat it is gone  sunday May 22, 1977 the stars and stripes Page 9