The Kangaroos Are Coming! The Kangaroos Are Coming!

by Pa Rock

Citizen Skeptic

The rural area in southern Missouri that I call home is, if nothing else, gullible as hell!

A few years ago when my youngest son and a production company were filming a movie in and around West Plains - a film ultimately titled "Lost Child" - a rumor began circulating that Brad Pitt was in town.  I heard stories alleging that he had been spotted sitting by the pool of a local motel and that he had also been sighted dining in one of our town's restaurants.  But when the good folks who were eagerly telling Brad tales were questioned, none of them had actually seen the big star - but each knew someone who absolutely had seen him!   Eventually that nonsense subsided, but there are still, no doubt, a few disappointed folks in the area who believe that they just missed bumping into Brad Pitt at Taco Bell by mere minutes.

Now many of those same people are setting the local area abuzz with stories of kangaroos.  Those in the know are becoming upset about the Missouri Department of Conservation's recent release of eighty-some kangaroos in Texas County, which borders our local county of Howell to the north.  I have heard the kangaroo story several times and, having a skeptical nature, just ignored it.  If kangaroos had been released in Missouri even my major news source, National Public Radio (NPR), would have undoubtedly mentioned it

But yesterday evening I listened to two young men - well, two guys younger than me - talking and becoming seriously angry about that kangaroo invasion that was sure to bring dangers untold to our idyllic country setting.  One of them was even plotting ways to dispose of a kangaroo carcass in the event he had to shoot one - and one was touting a government conspiracy because the kangaroos had been released to protect cattle from predators - but the Department of Conservation had not revealed what predators it was concerned about.

As the paranoia began to mount, I decided that perhaps I should learn more about this strangeness.  It took all of about five minutes of searching on Google to learn the truth.  There was one mention of the story - and it was posted on a Facebook site called "Show-Me Outdoors."   The article was dated April 1st, and read:

"After a long anticipated wait, the Missouri Department of Conservation just released 82 kangaroos in Texas County, MO yesterday in an attempt to deter predators from cattle and natural deer herds, which has been a growing issue in the state. The department is expected to release another 37 kangaroos on April Fools Day."

Missouri's faux kangaroo-release wasn't even original.  News stories from 2017 archived on the internet tell of a release of ninety kangaroos in Wyoming.  Those stories were also dated April 1st!

When the first kangaroo hops down the lane in front of my house, I fully expect that Brad Pitt will be riding it bareback!