Kangaroos Can Jump Over 30 Feet in a Single Bound

When a red kangaroo kicks into high gear, it becomes one of nature's most impressive athletes. These Australian marsupials routinely cover 25 to 30 feet with each hop, and when fleeing predators, they can exceed 30 feet per bound. The world record? An astonishing 42 feet (12.8 meters), set by a female red kangaroo in New South Wales in 1951.

To put that in perspective, a kangaroo could leap over most school buses lengthwise in a single jump.

The Secret Behind the Super-Jump

Kangaroos don't achieve these distances through muscle power alone. Their legs contain specialized elastic tendons that act like biological springs, storing energy from each landing and releasing it on the next jump. This energy-recycling system is so efficient that hopping actually becomes more energy-efficient than walking at higher speeds.

The animals also use their muscular tails as a counterbalance and "fifth leg" during slower movements, helping them generate the momentum needed for those spectacular leaps.

Not All Jumps Are Created Equal

A kangaroo's jumping ability depends heavily on context:

• Running jumps: 25-30 feet average, up to 42 feet maximum
• Standing jumps: Only about 6.5 feet forward
• Vertical leaps: Up to 10 feet high with momentum, 4-6 feet from standing

The difference is dramatic. A kangaroo caught flat-footed is nowhere near as impressive as one in full flight.

Red kangaroos are the jumping champions of the kangaroo family, outperforming smaller species like wallabies and wallaroos. These are also the largest marsupials on Earth, with males weighing up to 200 pounds—yet they can still launch their considerable bulk across distances that would make Olympic long jumpers weep.

Speed Demons on Two Legs

Those long jumps aren't just for show. When bounding at full speed, kangaroos can maintain speeds of 35 mph and hit bursts up to 44 mph. Combined with their ability to change direction mid-air, this makes them nearly impossible for predators to catch in open terrain.

In a 1986 University of New South Wales study, researchers recorded a red kangaroo jumping 10.2 feet vertically to reach food—proving these animals can go up just as impressively as they go forward.