The entire world looked on in horror as the images of the caged Kangaroo from the Tourism Australia display in Los Angeles were broadcast around the worlds national television stations.

Australian wildlife experts have quite rightly condemned Tourism Australia for keeping a kangaroo in a cage on a busy LA street as part of the current G'Day USA campaign.

Kylie Mackenzie, who took the footage on her mobile phone of the caged kangaroo back in January, said she was horrified to see the animal in such a distressed state.

Tourism Australia told reporters that they didn't see anything wrong with the stunt. Their reasoning was that having a Kangaroo on display at this public event for a few hours a day when showcasing all things Australia, the audience, especially children, are fascinated by unique wildlife from down under.
The group Humane America reportedly approved the project and was unconcerned by the broadcast footage. Apparently they didn't consider the rocking that is very evident in the clip to be from distress but rather from boredom. However Australian animal expert David "The Wildlife Man" Ireland told the Seven Network that this footage clearly showed the animal was anxious.

This is the second time that Tourism Australia have misread the international tourism audience. Their disastrous 'Where the Bloody Hell are you ?" campaign only confirmed the worlds long held unfavourable image of the caricature Australian community and now the world sees us as having our unique wildlife caged up for peoples entertainment...

How can Tourism Australia have got this so wrong?   Perhaps it is time to get outside help, perhaps in Australia, we are too insular a community that isn't taking into consideration the view that the outside world has of our country from foreign shores.  We accuse America of thinking they are the world and have no time for anyone else's opinion, except their own, despite the fact that only 5% of Americans ever leave their country.  It is surely time to recruit advisors that give our tourism bodies honest advice on how others view us and capitalize on that, rather than keep getting 'egg on our faces' from our own naive promotions that simply help confirm all the erroneous detrimental views that historical images have projected.

What will the next advertising campaign be, Bruce in his corked bush hat in the pub talking footy whilst Sheila is having a sweet sherry looking after the kids outside, yeah right!  Come on Tourism Australia ask for some advice and get this right, there's no point in putting pressure on Qantas to get more international flights organised, accommodation and attractions to lift their game, if our tourism bodies can't get the 'first contact' message right.