Have You Seen This Wallaby? The Detroit Zoo Is Looking For Him
The Detroit Zoo is desperately looking for a 5-month-old joey that's gone missing.
On March 6th the Detroit Zoo announced on Facebook the arrival of its newest animal.
Then just a few days later the Detroit Zoo had to share some sad news on Facebook.
The Detroit Zoo Shared This Message On Facebook
We are heartbroken to update you that the 5-month-old wallaby joey whose story we shared on Friday is missing. The joey was last seen by animal care staff around 5 p.m. Saturday and was discovered missing from the Australian Outback Adventure habitat early this morning.
Immediately, animal care staff began searching for the little one. Zoo staff is carefully examining the habitat and areas around it while also reviewing trail cameras and surveillance cameras all over the Zoo.
At his or her age, the joey is just beginning the process of independence by spending time outside the pouch, but still nursing and spending time in the pouch. It is unlikely that the young wallaby can survive an extended amount of time away from the mother. We are reviewing every potential scenario and remain hopeful this joey will be found unharmed.
What Is A Wallaby?
According to Wikipedia, a wallaby is a small or middle-sized macropod native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand, Hawaii, the United Kingdom, and other countries. They belong to the same taxonomic family as kangaroos and sometimes the same genus, but kangaroos are specifically categorized into the four largest species of the family. The term "wallaby" is an informal designation generally used for any macropod that is smaller than a kangaroo or for a wallaroo that has not been designated otherwise.