Absurd Creatures | Silly Tree Kangaroo, You’re Not Supposed to Be Up There

[Narrator] Kangaroos.

Great at jumping around and stuff

and beating the tar out of each other, apparently.

Real good at that.

But kangaroos aren't so great at climbing trees.

That is, save for one group that has mastered the art.

The unimaginatively named tree-kangaroos

spend their lives 100 feet high in the rainforests

of Australia and New Guinea.

Compared to their cousins on the ground,

their legs are shorter, allowing for better maneuverability.

They can also walk backwards, unlike regular 'roos,

which can only manage full steam ahead.

And check out their huge claws

that help them get a grip in the canopy.

Really though, a climber is only

as good as the tree it climbs.

Branches can still snap from under the kangaroo.

Luckily, these things are crazy tough.

If a predator is closing in, the 'roo can

reportedly leap 50 feet out of a tree

and land without totally shattering its lower body.

But normally, their grazing peacefully on all

manner of veggies, from leaves to shoots,

and their favorite of all are flowers

from the sweet hands of royalty.

Eat up, peasant, and don't you dare look them in the eye.