The Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington is celebrating the birth of two young Wallaroo Kangaroos.
The Wallaroo joeys are estimated to be nine months old. According to Jay Tetzloff, Superintendent of the Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington, the zoo is one of seven institutions breeding this species. He says the joeys are out of the pouch nearly as much as they are in it.
Tetzloff explains the Common Wallaroo is very vulnerable at this time, as their are only around 50 in North America. The breeding program the Wallaroos are a part of has been very successful the past few years. Tetzloff feels it is great to have the animals around and it definitely helps draw people to the zoo, however, the bigger goal is to continue to restore the numbers of Wallaroos.
Tetzloff says normally the Wallaroo joeys do not stick their heads out of the pouch until they are nearly five months old, but they have been out and very active this spring.
The Wallaroo is the third largest type of Kangaroo, native to Australia. The distinctive creatures can be identified in the Wallaby Walkabout exhibit at the Zoo.
