Woodland Park Zoo Tree Kangaroo Joey Leaves the Pouch

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: April 29, 2021 11:00 am

An 8 month old Matschie’s tree kangaroo joey is beginning to poke its head out of mom’s pouch at the Woodland Park Zoo

Photo Credit: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo

Woodland Park Zoo have announced that their 8 month old Matschie’s tree kangaroo joey has started to peek out of the pouch for the first time. The joey is a male and was born last August to mom Omari and dad, Rocket.

Currently weighing in at (0.9kg) 2lbs the joey was named Havam which is the word for tree kangaroo in one of the languages used in the YUS Conservation Area in Papua New Guinea where wild Matchie’s tree kangaroos are found.

An 8 month old Matschie’s tree kangaroo joey is beginning to poke its head out of mom’s pouch at the Woodland Park Zoo

Photo Credit: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo

Woodland Park Zoo operate a tree kangaroo conservation program in the YUS Conservation Area. This work is made possible by organizations such as Shared Earth Foundation, which ensures that all creatures have an enduring claim to sustainable space on this planet.

Havam was born hairless, blind and the size of a jellybean. Just minutes after birth he made the climb from the birth canal to the pouch where he latched on a teat and began to nurse.

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While Havam has recently made his exit from the pouch this is actually his second emergence. “Havam exited Omari’s pouch a little early — we actually had to put him back in to finish growing for a few more months. Luckily an animal keeper saw him outside the pouch and knew exactly what to do. She kept him warm by putting him in her shirt, then put him in a fabric pouch with a heated pad until he could be returned to Omari’s pouch,” explained his keeper, Beth Carlyle-Askew.

As he continues to grow the joey is becoming more familiar with the world around him. He will make an exit from the pouch take a short trip around the enclosure and then return to the warmth and safety of mom’s pouch.

While he continues to nurse he is also trying out solid food. He will wean off of mom’s milk by 14 months old.

An 8 month old Matschie’s tree kangaroo joey is beginning to poke its head out of mom’s pouch at the Woodland Park Zoo

Video Credit: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo

This is third joey for father Rocket. He welcomed two joey’s to another female at the zoo known as Elanna in 2018 and 2020. Omari had three joey’s before Havam. These were born at her previous home at the Santa Fe Teaching Zoo before she came to Woodland Park Zoo.

Currently the Matschie’s tree kangaroo family at Woodland Park Zoo are off-display to visitors.