There's nothing the internet likes more than a weird video of an animal. At times it feels like it's what social media was made for. Maybe it's a clip of a fat dog trying to climb a flight of stairs, or a really long cat, or something equally unusual. Whatever it is, you can guarantee that people will sit up and take an interest in it. And it doesn't have to be a common or domesticated animal either: people have managed to make memes out of creepy-crawly bugs, slimy sea creatures from the ocean floor, and wild and ravenous beasts.
It seems as though even the humble marsupials of the Australian outback aren't immune to becoming internet celebrities either. If you want an example then look no further than the case of Roger the kangaroo, an incredibly ripped specimen of his species who took the internet by storm way back in 2015, after a picture of him flexing his gigantic biceps emerged on social media. Unfortunately for his many fans, the ridiculously swole Roger passed away back in 2018 at the ripe old age of 12 (which is pretty old in roo years).
However, fans of Roger the bodybuilding kangaroo can now rejoice: it seems as though Roger managed to father a son before he died, and now this Kangaroo, who goes by the name of Brandon, is now just as buff as his daddy. Tahnee Passmore-Barnes, who runs The Kangaroo Sanctuary in Alice Springs, Australia with her husband Chris 'Brolga' Barnes, says that the muscular Brandon is already following in his father's footsteps.
In a recent interview, Tahnee stated: "It's not unusual for mothers to let joeys of that age in their pouch, but Brandon is already very solid. Indi's a very good mum and she loves Brandon a lot, but it's safe to say he's going to be a big boy soon. His dad had a huge following and we got messages of grief from fans all over the world when he passed away. We keep about 55 roos here who are rescued, rehabilitated and released back into the wild if they can. Indi and Brandon will probably stay on in the sanctuary. We've seen a lot of joeys grow up here over the years and looking after them always melts my heart."
Roger was found by the sanctuary as a joey after his mother was killed in a car accident before his impressive physique earned him thousands of fans. Why is this kangaroo so muscular you ask? Well, it all comes down to mating. In the wild, kangaroo males will often fight and box each other in order to prove themselves most dominant to females. This means that only the strongest roos earn the right to procreate.