Uluru was a fairly interesting place, and as uplifted Animalians, Khan and Marla were more than content to explore the colony before making any decision to stay there. Unlike Miles who only had a few days for Spring Break before having to head back to Lyre/Animalia to attend school, the two uplifted Eastern Grey Kangaroos also had the time to look over things, and that was in part what was done with some of the new colonies. The big thing was that the colony city, while named for the plateau Uluru, or Ayers Rock, the colony city was actually closer to Alice Springs than the actual rock formation, and mostly out of respect for the Aboriginal peoples and for the various national park type areas around the stone formation. Most Australian Animalians that were once Human actually became Animalians at a colony site and then returned to where they lived, which kept the Uluru Colony City fairly small. To a degree, Khan and Marla considered that, but they wanted to get a look at the colony first and checking in on things, and that started with meeting with Ben at the Zoo that he and Tyree ran.
"I'd like to thank you for meeting with us and scouting out the colony," Khan commented, "as we don't want to mess with any others already in residence."
"Or interrupt your schedule... with your wife out looking at the more northerly colony is doing at the moment and with little ones to look after," Marla added.
"Tyree and I haven't had children yet," Ben spoke, "the baby that Animalia Ambassadoria reported on from the zoo was Carson and Eva's puggle. And the echidna family is doing well."
"We're sorry," Marla spoke, blinking at the confusion, "we're still adjusting to things..."
"It's all okay," Ben answered, "Tyree and I aren't out to try and draw a lot of attention... at least as far as two Animalians that are based on extinct predatory marsupials go."
"Yes... I was going to say that you didn't look like a Dingo," Khan commented.
"Dingoes are placental mammals, and close relatives of dogs and wolves," Ben nodded, "Tyree and I are Thylacines, a marsupial that evolved to have a body like a wolf. Though, I suspect you're wondering on where the small group of Red Kangaroos that live out here that were purposely uplifted live with the colony."
Khan and Marla both nodded and Ben then moved across his office to a set of filing cabinets. Much of them carried information that related to the running of the zoo and its health needs and so on, but the rest were records for animals uplifted, which included a small number of the zoo's older Red Kangaroos that were past their prime and past the point where they would normally be able to keep breeding. The Red Kangaroo wasn't endangered, but they figured it best to still work with the zoo animals. Animals that wouldn't be pressuring wild animals. And since the Uluru colony was set out like many other cities and villages, finding it would work out well with the addresses are known. And eventually, Ben then passed to Khan a list of names of the uplifted Kangaroos.
"These should be all the names of those you'll need to visit, though keep in mind that many may be busy with jobs or may not even be in the immediate area because of things that they're doing," Ben commented.
"It's alright," Marla answered, "Most of it right now is just meeting people and getting used to things."
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And as Khan and Marla were told, many of those that were on that list were busy. But by chance, they did come across one that was going about his rounds delivering mail. The male was broad shouldered with red-orange fur helped easily tell that the Animalian was a Red Kangaroo, as opposed to the largely grey fur that Khan and Marla had. He heavily blinked when he noticed them.
"You two got a lot of bulk, mates," the Red Kangaroo Animalian commented, "for Grey Kangaroo Animalians."
“We were born and raised with some kind of unique traits,” Marla answered.
"And it created some health issues on the reserve park we were livin' in," Khan answered, "the people there flew us to Lyre to be uplifted there."
"Mighty long way to go for uplifting, mates," the Red Kangaroo Animalian answered, "Uluru and the other Animalian colony were already here..."
"We can't say on how or why they made the decision they did," Khan answered, "though we are here now and wanting to meet in with some others and make sure we're not infringin' on your home."
"Well, that's mighty kind," the Red Kangaroo Animalian answered, "they call me Rufus... though you don't have to worry about it too much. Some of the private land owners might be a bit uneasy with the growth of the colony here, but we're not as big as what Animalia has in America, and they've also proven to be acceptable providing one can work and help them out. Though, with that build, you might be best suited to runnin' a gym."
Khan and Marla looked at each other for a moment. They'd learned enough to know that Animalians were often very interested in physical activity and enjoyed having a good physical workout, and even inspired it with any Human neighbors they lived around. They'd made some contacts at the Claw Coliseum during the time they were in Lyre and found that while Animalians did have gym memberships there, there were actually MORE Humans that came to work out, which Khan and Marla figured was probably inspired by how healthy Animalians tended to look, regardless of whether or not they had gym memberships.
"They'd have time for it?" Marla wondered, "looking around the town here isn't all that big... even WITH the Animalian colony being built up with it."
"You'd be surprised what people can and will make time for," Rufus answered, "though... can I get your names, mates?"
"Khan." "Marla."
"Welcome to Uluru, Khan, Marla, where ya be stayin'? Rufus asked.
"For the moment at a small motel while scouting things out while scouting things out," Khan answered, "as it is dryer here than the sanctuary, we were raised in."
"Yeah, Eastern Grey Kangaroos don't come this far west and Western Grey Kangaroos tend to stay on the south coast," Rufus answered, "we're out into the more desert outback here. But the colony and the town got runnin' water, though it'll be limited in a dry year."
Khan and Marla were rather impressed with that. But they still had more things to check out before being certain on whether or not they could stay in the colony city of Uluru.
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The next meeting they had came in the evening while meeting with a local rancher in the area. He was Human and had seemed a bit surprised by finding two well-muscled Kangaroo Animalians showing up at his doorstop one evening.
"You're mighty big," the man said with some surprise, and then looked to Khan, "though did your dye your fur?"
"No, we're Eastern Grey Kangaroos," Khan answered, "our size has more to due with some other conditions that made us a bit bigger than was healthy for our species, and that caused our need for being uplifted."
"We're presently looking around the colonies around in Australia to see if we can fit in, or if we'd need to settle somewhere else or on our own," Marla added, "Rufus said that he and the Red Kangaroo Animalians that live in the Uluru Colony City would be fine with us... but a lot of the ranchers, like you would be the ones to ask."
"With those already here... we're probably good with on site help with herding and keepin' things like the Dingoes away," the man answered.
"Rufus said somethin' about runnin' a gym," Marla commented.
The man gave a heavy but friendly laugh at that, "and I'm sure mates like you would inspire lots of people to get "bulked up."
"You'd all have time for it?" Khan wondered.
"Keep the rates reasonable, and I'm sure people would make the time for it," the man answered.
"Interesting," Khan answered, "it'd be somethin' to think on, though we would have other things to think over."
"And it wouldn't have to be something you do," the rancher commented, "it would be somethin' that would be an obvious thing... but if ya find stuff to do that would make money and so on, most of us wouldn't mind."
"We thank you for your insight," Marla commented, "we will have some other stuff to think on... and might even want to scout out the other colony before making a final decision."