Chester Zoo: Rare tree kangaroo emerges from mum’s pouch for the first time

A rare tree kangaroo has emerged from its mother’s pouch for the first time at Chester Zoo.

The joey was the first of the endangered species to be born at the zoo in July and has since been developing in the pouch since, being regularly monitored with a special camera.

The Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo is a much smaller than the well known Australian kangaroo species, and listed as endangered in the wild due to hunting and habitat destruction.

The shy species dwell in trees and Chester Zoo is one of only two zoos in the UK caring for Goodfellow’s tree kangaroos.

Dave White, Twilight Team Manager said: “This is a real celebratory moment for the team and our efforts to protect this highly endangered species. With little being known about these shy and elusive creatures, we’re in a unique position to be able to capture and document the whole process around the development of Kitawa’s joey.”

Tree kangaroos have one of the most complex birthing processes in the animal kingdom and when a joey is first born it’s only the size of a jellybean, according to the zoo.

Dave explained: “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.”

Chester Zoo said it is working with communities in South East Asia to boost sustainable farming practices and protect the forests, home to the rarest species, including the Goodfellow’s kangaroo.