Cape May Zoo’s Baby Kangeroo Emerges From Pouch for First Time

Wednesday was a special day at the Cape May Zoo in Cape May Court House. Darcy the kangaroo's baby "joey" came out of her pouch for the first time.

Baby Kangeroo Makes First Appearance at Cape May Zoo

Welcome to Darcy's joey, who made her first appearance on Wednesday at Cape May Zoo at 189 olds old. According to Zookeeper Steph, DArcy's baby -- or joey -- is beginning to grow fur and thermoregulate, which means she is finally able to peak out from mum's pouch.

The Cape May Zoo's website informs us that there are four species of kangaroo, all native to Australia and New Guinea.

They are marsupials, which are mammals whose females have pouches to carry their young. Kangaroos, along with wallabies, quokkas, and others, are called macropods, which means “large foot.”

When Will We See the Joey Again?

We won't have to wait long to see more and more of the baby joey, says Steph.

As she gets stronger and braver, the joey will spend more and more time looking out at the world, and she will venture out of the pouch in the next month or so.

 

 

A Kangaroo's First Food is Dirt

Here's a good fact. A joey's first solid food will be dirt, which will help her establish her gut flora. Flora is bacteria and other organisms that live inside the intestines. They help the animal digest food.

Vitamins such as biotin and vitamin K are made by gut flora or intestinal flora.

You can visit  Darcy and her joey any day at the Cape May Zoo. Admission is free and they are open from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm.