Photo of the week

-- Greg Fry

Somewhere along the line in my career, I became the “animal

photographer.” I’m not sure how, when, or why it happened, but it’s a

label that has stuck. Whenever the animal assignments come in, I’m the

go-to guy. Whether it’s cats, dogs, ducks, reptiles or, in this case,

kangaroos, I know that I’ll soon be aiming my lens at the cute, or

not-so-cute, creature.

I had never seen a baby kangaroo up close and in person, and if you

guess it would be adorable, you’re right. As I followed its mini-hops

around the group of kids, I couldn’t help but pet it every couple of

minutes. It was especially memorable when the little guy made his way

toward me and started licking my hand. Of course, I was supposed to be

working, so I gave him a friendly nudge to go back toward the kids.

I think the image that I chose of the furry kanga suckling a bottle

captured the assignment well, as the kids surrounding him watch with

interest. Just another animal assignment, maybe, but how many of us can

say we’ve been licked by a kangaroo?