The Newest, Cutest Baby Animals from the World's Zoos & Aquariums

Category: Tree Kangaroo

  • New Joey is a First for Belfast Zoo

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    It’s a UK first for Belfast Zoological Gardens, as a Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroo has been born!

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    Belfast_treeKangaroo_4Photo Credits: Belfast Zoological Gardens

    Belfast Zoo is home to the only Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroos in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In fact, there are only 22 tree kangaroos in the whole of Europe and only six of this subspecies.

    The newborns father ‘Hasu-Hasu’ and mother, ‘Jaya’, arrived at Belfast Zoo in 2013. Keepers first noticed movement in Jaya’s pouch on in early May 2014, but it was not until recent weeks that the joey’s head was spotted peaking out!

    Zoo Curator, Andrew Hope, said “Like all marsupials, female tree kangaroos carry and nurse their young in their pouch. Keepers first noticed movement in the pouch back in May, but it is only recently that the joey has started to make an appearance. The joey will remain in Jaya’s pouch for several more months before starting to explore and, for this reason, it is not yet possible for keepers to determine the sex or the name of the latest arrival.”

    As their name suggests, Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroos are tree-dwelling mammals, found in the mountainous rainforests of Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. They can climb 15 to 20 feet up tree trunks and can leap more than 30 feet through the air from branch to branch!

    Belfast Zoo manager, Mark Challis, said “Belfast Zoo is home to a number of extremely rare and endangered species and, while the team is always ecstatic when any of the animals successfully breed, we are particularly over the moon with the arrival of the tree kangaroo joey! Only 13 zoos internationally are home to Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroos, so the arrival of our joey is spectacular! The population of Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroo has dramatically declined in the last 30 years due to the habitat destructions and hunting. Zoos have an important and active role to play in their conservation, and I am proud that Belfast is leading the way for Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroo in the UK and Ireland.”

    More photos below the fold!

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  • Tree Kangaroo is Taronga’s First in 20 Years

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    1173709_691854294210798_759551476_nAustralia’s Taronga Zoo is celebrating the successful birth of its first Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroo joey in more than 20 years! The female joey was born in September, but keepers have only just begun seeing her tiny head peeking out from first-time mother Kwikila’s pouch.

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    Photo Credit:  Sam Bennett

     
    Like all marsupials, female Tree Kangaroos have a well-developed pouch in which they carry and nurse their young.  The joey, which has not yet been named, will remain in Kwikila’s pouch for several more months.  As she grows, the joey will start exploring the world, but mom’s pouch will remain a favorite retreat until she can no longer fit inside.

    Tree Kangaroos are different than their ground-dwelling Kangaroo cousins in Australia.  They have shorter hind legs and stronger forelimbs to maneuver in the treetops.  The long tail provides balance when leaping from branch to branch. 

    Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroos are native to upland rain forests on the island of New Guinea.  They feed on the tough, fibrous leaves of the silkwood tree.  These leaves are digested by their specialized stomachs, which are similar to those of ruminants like cows. 

    Due to habitat loss and illegal hunting for their meat, Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroos are listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. 

    See more photos of the joey below.

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  • Orphan Tree Kangaroos – A ZooBorns First!

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    Meet Kimberely and Anneli, two orphaned Lumholtz Tree Kangaroos in the care of Margit Cianelli, one of only two people licensed to rescue and rehabilitate this lesser known Australian species. Both joeys are thriving under Margit's expert care but have tough stories.

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    Kimberely (the larger one) was found in a water stream after falling from the trees. Some local aboriginals swimming nearby pulled her out (saving her life) and attempted to reconnect her with her mother in the trees above. The mother however, did not show interest in the joey and hence Margit was given the joey to hand raise. Margit suspects that the mother rejected Kimberley because she is an extremely active joey and she may have been too much to deal with. It’s possible she was a first time mother.

    Anneli the smaller of the two was found near a farm area motionless under a water pump. Clearly she had been separated by her mother for days as she was suffering physically being weak, malnourished and dehydrated. She was very light and when taken to the vet she was discovered to be suffering from pneumonia, septicemia and multiple infections. She was placed on an IV drip for seven days and against the odds she recovered and has transformed into a healthy young joey.

    DONT MISS THIS AMAZING VIDEO

    Margit has cared for over 15 Tree Kangaroos joeys in the past and is seen as a pioneer in Tree Kangaroo rehabilitation. She often has the joeys for over a year as preparing them for return to the wild is a long process. They need to be taught how to climb (this includes daily exercise in the climbing yard), they get taught what foods are safe to eat (the spaghetti is a treat), they also are nurtured and encouraged to be confident upon release.

    Tree Kangaroos are a highly territorial species and finding unoccupied space can be challenging. Initially when released Margit will put radio collars on her roos and allow them to return until they have found their own territory to ensure they survive during their first few weeks in the wild.

    Both Australian species of Tree Kangaroo, the Lumholtz and Bennett's, are currently under threat due to habitat fragmentation from human encroachment, car accidents and dogs whose territory they pass through while looking for new homes.

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    Kimberley with leafPhoto and Video Credits: Adam Cox, Wakaleo / Creatura Channel

    Want to do more to help Tree Kangaroos? Check out the nearby Tree Roo Rescue and Conservation Centre. Video of their current guests below:

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  • Tree Kangaroo Joey Pokes Its Head Out of Mother’s Pouch

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    Staff at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle Washington are just now catching glimpses of one of their newest residents, a little Tree Kangaroo joey. Although the little critter was born way back in June, it immediately crawled up its mother's stomach and into her pouch where it has spent the past eight months growing and developing.  The joey is now venturing out of its mother's pouch for periods of time to learn to forage and avoid predators. For now, the little one still comes back to the comfort of its mother's pouch every night or whenever it gets nervous. Soon the baby will leave its mother's pouch for good, venturing into the world on its own.

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    Tree Kangaroos, native of Papua New Guinea, are an endangered species. The Woodland Park Zoo is home to the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program which aims to both study and conserve Tree Kangaroos in the wild through habitat conservation as well as to breed the species in captivity. This rare birth is a success in the fight to preserve the species. The baby has yet to go on exhibit so it can grow in a quite environment, but it won't be long before visitors can catch a glimpse the newest addition Woodland Park Zoo Tree Kangaroo collection.

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