Rare tree kangaroo born at Chester Zoo captured on camera emerging from mum's pouch for first time
Watch as the baby Joey emerges from its mum's pouch for the very first time
A rare tree kangaroo joey, the first to ever be born at Chester Zoo, has emerged from its mum’s pouch for the first time.
The birth has been hailed as a "real celebration" for the highly threatened species - with only two zoos in the UK caring for the animals.
It’s the first time Chester Zoo has bred the species in its 91-year history where, in a bid to discover more about the elusive creatures, conservationists have documented the growth of the joey using a special endoscope camera carefully placed into mum Kitawa’s pouch every few weeks.
Experts say the data collected could help tree kangaroos, as well as other similar threatened species found in South East Asia, and their plight in the wild.
The baby was born in July 2022, but has been developing in its mum's pouch for six months, until it emerges fully.
David White, Team Manager at the zoo, said: "Kitawa’s joey is the first Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo to ever be born at Chester Zoo in its 91 year-long history, so it’s a real celebratory moment for the team and our efforts to protect this highly endangered species.
"Tree kangaroos have one of the most complex birthing processes in the animal kingdom. When a joey is first born it’s only the size of a jellybean and is incredibly underdeveloped. Moments after the birth, with eyes still tightly closed, the joey knows to instinctively crawl up mum’s belly and into her pouch – following a channel which she has marked out by licking her fur.
"Once safely in the pouch, the baby receives all of the nutrition it needs while it grows and develops for a further six months – up until it starts to pop its head out.
"The new baby will soon emerge from the pouch fully and begin hopping around and learning to climb trees, under the watchful eye of mum. That’s when we’ll be able to determine if it’s male or female and give the youngster a fitting name."
Tree Kangaroo Facts
The joey was born to mum Kitawa and dad Kayjo in July 2022 and has been developing in mum’s pouch ever since.
Tree kangaroos are listed as endangered by the IUCN. They face a very high risk of becoming extinct in the wild.
As well as habitat loss through local deforestation for wood and timber and cultivation for coffee plantations and rice, the species is highly threatened by hunting for food and is traded within the country for cultural reasons by local people.
They have a long tail to give added balance when jumping distances of up to 9m and long curved claws and rubbery soles help with grip when climbing.
They have a chambered stomach for breaking down and absorbing a tough diet of flowers, grasses and leaves.
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