11h • General discussion
Meet a Tree Kangaroo Joey
Marsupials are filled with surprises. Each story reminds us how life, in its tender beginnings, can teach us something new.
Recently, keepers at Chester Zoo in the UK captured remarkable footage of a Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo joey growing inside his mother’s pouch. Tiny cameras placed gently inside the pouch gave us a rare window into his earliest days, from jellybean size through the first months of development.
This precious joey was born to parents Kitawa and Kayjo through an international conservation breeding program, part of a global effort to help this endangered species thrive.
Here are five fascinating facts about tree kangaroos:
- Like all marsupials, tree kangaroo joeys are born extremely small, about the size of a jellybean. They must climb into their mother’s pouch immediately after birth to continue developing.
- Goodfellow’s tree kangaroos live high in the rainforests of Papua New Guinea, spending much of their day in trees rather than on the ground.
- Tree kangaroos move with surprising grace in the trees, able to climb, perch, and leap between branches with ease.
- Tree kangaroos tend to rest or sleep for up to 16 hours a day, often positioning themselves head down so rain can roll off their fur.
- Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo is classified as Endangered due to habitat loss and slow reproduction, which makes every successful birth especially meaningful.
This short video includes a mix of footage from both protected environments and the wild. It offers a helpful glimpse into how tree kangaroos climb and navigate trees, something many of us have never seen before.
Learning about the wonderful world of animals is a gentle reminder that there is always more to learn, care for, and celebrate.
What marsupial do you want to learn about next?
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Meet a Tree Kangaroo Joey
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