As we reported during the Debrecen Zoo’s temporary closure, their red-necked wallaby group had welcomed two young females from Pécs Zoo in March.
There were, however, more than two newcomers since the females’ pouches were already home to a 3-to-4-week-old offspring each, who had made their way into safety right after being born at a weight of less than 1 gram after just 30 days of gestation. Although they now venture outside more and more often, the little joeys will continue to return to the pouch until about nine months old. With their arrival, the institution’s wallaby group is now 8 strong.
Native to coastal forests and bushlands in Tasmania as well as eastern and southeastern parts of Australia, red-necked wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus) are medium-sized marsupials named after the reddish fur on their neck and shoulders. They have large and fairly agile ears that, along with their excellent sense of smell, compensate for a relatively poor eyesight. Spending most of the day resting in the shade, they forage for food, mostly grasses, fruits and roots, around dusk and at night. While their wild populations are currently stabile, they are included in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species due to a quantitative and qualitative decline in terms of available habitat.
press release
