Bronx Zoo’s Tree Kangaroo Leaps into View
When should we announce the birth of a kangaroo? Technically a baby roo – the Matschie's tree kangaroo – was born in the Bronx Zoo last December, but it would be inaccurate to say the joey had “entered the world,” since she would spend the following several months tucked safely inside mama’s pouch.
The tiny creature didn’t poke her head out until the middle of July, when the zoo announced the joey’s “public debut,” and explained why it took so long: “The majority of a tree kangaroo joey’s physical development occurs in the mother’s pouch. … At birth, the joey is about the size of a human thumbnail and immediately crawls through the mother’s fur to enter her pouch. After about seven months, the joey completely emerges from the pouch, but frequently returns to nurse.”
Last week the unnamed baby enjoyed another milestone: her first leap. Finally, eight months after her “birth,” the baby has spent a few fleeting moments apart from mother.
Visitors to the Bronx Zoo can now see the baby and mother in the JungleWorld exhibit. The zoo, under the auspices of the Wildlife Conservation Society, is active in the breeding program administered by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which maintains genetic diversity in zoo populations.
The Matschie's tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei) is designated “endangered” by the IUCN. Native to the high-altitude forests of Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Australia, the specific dangers they face are habitat destruction, unsustainable hunting, and other unpleasant human activities. Today there are fewer than 2500 in the wild.
Photo credit: Wildlife Conservation Society
