"
On
the 27 June we observed two female Lumholtz?s Tree-kangaroos engaged in riotous
behaviour. I believe that it was a mother driving off her offspring. The
combatants, which were not known to me, were an adult and sub-adult female, in
the 16 to 20 month range. We had heard screaming in the forest and when we
tracked it down, there were these two females and the unnamed dominant male from
the southern part of my site. The male got no closer than five metres from
either of the females and appeared a disinterested spectator.
At
first sighting the sub-adult was about four metres from the adult female and one
metre higher in the tree on an adjacent branch. It made a slight movement
towards the older female which then rushed at it; grabbed it by the hairs of its
thigh and shoulder and bit its flanks. We then heard the screams again,
confirming their source. After about three seconds the older female released her
grip and the screaming stopped. The young one made no attempt to move away. She
was grabbed and bitten again for about the same period of time and on being
released move off about three metres.
After a period of time greater than one but less than
three minutes the adult female moved to the younger one and repeated the
treatment. The younger animal tried to escape but was not released. Bites to the
flanks were delivered on and off through the struggle. During this time the male
moved away without our noticing him go. This time when the young one was
released it moved off quickly, up and further into the forest, clambering into
another tree. The adult followed close on her heels. We lost sight of then after
a short while and did not hear further screaming or crashing in the
forest.
Two
days later I believe we saw this young female about fifty metres further north.
This was north of Amanda?s territory and in an area which I have only seen Rex, the dominant male when on his way to
visit his lady friends. There a numerous sections of rainforest on the site
where I have seen no tree-kangaroos in the five years I have been spotlighting
here and many others where the only sighting has been of a male, presumably in
transit. I hope she sets up her territory there beside the track. The musky
smell of a male tree-roo was strong in the area of the young female but we could
not find Rex. No doubt he had been checking out the new
talent.
I
have been of the opinion that females drive off their female offspring at about
18 months of age while it is the dominate male which drive off the young males
at about 30 months. This strengthens my view."