A Matschie’s tree kangaroo born at the Bronx Zoo in late December has poked its head out of its mother's pouch, delighting visitors with its public debut, the zoo said Thursday.
The joey is the second of its species born at the zoo — and to the same mother kangaroo — since 2021, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society, which manages the zoo.
“Like their kangaroo and wallaby marsupial cousins, the majority of a tree kangaroo joey’s physical development occurs in the mother’s pouch. Internal gestation is about 6 weeks,” the zoo said in a release. “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.”
Visitors can try to catch a glimpse of the joey with its mother at the Bronx Zoo’s “JungleWorld” exhibit, though exhibit hours may vary as the marsupial continues to acclimate to its environment, the zoo said.
Wild tree kangaroos live in the canopies of mountain forests at elevations above 4,000 feet, according to the zoo. Adult males of the species can weigh up to 30 pounds and grow to about 30 inches in length, minus their tails, the zoo said.
Tree kangaroos are found exclusively in parts of Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Australia and are classified as endangered, with fewer than 2,500 estimated to remain in the wild.
The joey’s emergence coincides with the Bronx Zoo’s 125th anniversary.