days out

Rare tree kangaroo joey emerges from pouch at Chester Zoo

Endangered Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo born to mum Kitawa

After developing inside mum’s pouch for several months the joey has now popped out for the very first time

Tiny endoscopic cameras were used to track the baby’s development and will help conservationists safeguard the species

Only two UK zoos care for the rare marsupials

Tree kangaroos are much smaller than Australian terrestrial kangaroos and live high up in trees

 Populations in the wild have declined by 50% because of hunting and deforestation

A rare Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo joey has emerged from his mother’s pouch at Chester Zoo - marking a major conservation milestone for one of the world’s most threatened marsupials.

The newborn joey, a male, arrived to parents Kitawa (mum) and Kayjo (dad) as part of an international conservation breeding programme that’s ensuring the continued survival of the species.

It’s just the second time experts have bred the species at the conservation zoo, with only two zoos in the UK currently caring for the rare animals.

Now, the zoo has released seldom-seen images revealing the secret world inside the kangaroo’s pouch and confirming that the joey is healthy male. With the all-clear given, zookeepers say they will soon begin choosing a suitable name for the “special arrival.”

The joey, which now weighs 1.85kg but was no bigger than a jellybean at birth, has spent the first months of his life developing inside Kitawa’s pouch. Experts inserted tiny endoscopic cameras into the pouch to confirm Kitawa’s pregnancy and carefully monitor her joey’s development. The footage and findings are expected to provide valuable insight for conservation breeding programmes worldwide, contributing to a best-practice guide that supports efforts to prevent the species’ extinction.

Matthew Lloyd, a tree kangaroo expert at the zoo, said:

“When people think of kangaroos, they rarely imagine small, fluffy animals living high in the treetops. With so little known about tree kangaroos, Kitawa’s joey is a particularly special arrival, and represents a major step forward in understanding and protecting this remarkable species from extinction.

“Being able to carefully track this joey’s development inside the pouch using tiny cameras wasn’t possible only a few years ago, and it’s already helped us learn more crucial information about the early stages of life inside the pouch - knowledge that can now support, and hopefully speed up, our conservation breeding efforts globally.

“We don’t have a name for the little one just yet, but our choice will be influenced by communities in Papua New Guinea who live alongside tree kangaroos and are now part of efforts to protect their forest homes.”

Goodfellow’s tree kangaroos are found only in the forests of Papua New Guinea and are classed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with populations declining due to hunting and widespread habitat loss.

The successful birth follows the pairing of Kitawa and Kayjo, who are part of a European conservation breeding programme designed to maintain a healthy, genetically diverse population in in conservation zoos.

Scientists helped pinpoint the best time for the two kangaroos to be paired, which is crucial to breeding success, by using hormone monitoring carried out in the zoo’s on-site science laboratory - the only facility of its kind at a zoo in Europe.

David White, Team Manager at Chester Zoo, added:

“Goodfellow’s tree kangaroos don’t breed quickly, as a joey is a huge energy investment for the mother. This is one of the reasons they are disappearing from the forests of Papua New Guinea - they just can’t keep up with numbers being lost to hunting and deforestation.

“That’s why every birth like this is incredibly important. It’s been a real team effort, from zookeepers using their expert animal knowledge, to vets and scientists closely monitoring hormone levels and behavioural changes to understand the best times of year to introduce the parents. Everything we’ve learned so far will help conservationists around the world in securing a future for this magnificent species.”

Kitawa can be seen in the zoo’s Islands zone, where visitors may spot the joey popping his head out of her pouch as he becomes more confident. Tree kangaroos are known for spending long periods resting in trees, often sleeping in a head-down position to help shed rain from their fur in their tropical forest homes.

Tree kangaroo facts

Species: Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus goodfellowi)
Native range: The forests of Papua New Guinea
Conservation status: Endangered (IUCN Red List)

Lifestyle:

Mostly solitary animals, unlike many other kangaroo species

Spend much of their time resting or sleeping in trees

Can sleep for up to 16 hours a day

Often sleep head-down, a position that helps rain run off their fur in tropical forests

Breeding & behaviour:

Ready-to-mate females signal males by leaving droppings at the base of a favoured tree, releasing a distinctive scent and using clicking sounds to communicate

Careful, science-led introductions are required, as females will reject unsuitable males

Joey development:

Joeys weigh just 2–3 grams at birth - about the size of a jellybean

Newborns make a remarkable climb from the mother’s belly into the pouch shortly after birth

They remain in the pouch, suckling and developing, for around seven months before venturing out

Threats in the wild:

Forest loss and degradation caused by human activity

Slow reproduction rate makes populations particularly vulnerable to decline

Conservation in zoos:

There are very few Goodfellow’s tree kangaroos in zoos worldwide

Conservation breeding programmes act as an important insurance population

Chester Zoo uses on-site hormone analysis and detailed keeper observations to support successful breeding

 Mike Jordan, Director of Plants and Animals at Chester Zoo, said:

“The mountain bongo is a striking large mammal and it’s desperately sad to think that its population size has been reduced to such a small number. We fear there could be as few as just 50 now remaining in the wild.

“Hope, however, is certainly not lost and our zoo teams are fighting on a number of fronts to ensure that these highly threatened animals have a long-term future. Central to this is the leading role we play in the international conservation breeding programme for the subspecies, to which this latest calf at the zoo is a vitally important addition. Her birth is something to really celebrate. She’s an incredibly precious new arrival.

“Working alongside the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya Wildlife Service and Kenya Forest Service, as well as academics in the UK and the zoo community across Europe, plans are now in motion to translocate a number of these wonderful animals from zoos in Europe to Africa. We hope they’ll go on to bolster the wild population and help these stunning animals to stage a recovery.”

The mountain bongo is distinguishable by its vibrant reddish-brown coat featuring thin white vertical stripes, which help them to stay camouflaged within the forest by breaking up their body shape. 

Dr Nick Davis, General Manager of Mammals at Chester Zoo, coordinates the conservation breeding programme for the subspecies in Europe. He added:

“Mountain bongo are very shy and elusive animals and newborns tend to naturally look to take cover to protect themselves.

“Calves are born with incredibly large ears, which almost look out of proportion with their bodies. These are highly sensitive and help them to sense and escape from ambush predators such as leopards and hyenas.

“We have learned so much about their biology and behaviours from important births like this one, as well as the daily care we’ve been able to provide to them in zoos. Until recently, bongo remained poorly studied across their native range but this is thankfully starting to change. We’re now at the forefront of bongo conservation and we’ve already been involved in a number of breakthrough discoveries, such as finding them living in Uganda for the first time. This has laid a foundation for us to integrate conservation efforts by zoos with those in the wild – offering better hope for the future survival of these incredible animals.”

In 2018, scientists from the zoo and the Ugandan Wildlife Authority discovered another subspecies of bongo, the lowland bongo, in Uganda for the first time. The zoo’s motion-sensor cameras detected the presence of the animals in the remote, unexplored lowland rainforests within the Semuliki National Park – the first recorded evidence of the subspecies living in the country.

Chester Zoo has also worked with Liverpool John Moores University’s Conservation AI team to develop the world’s first AI-powered detection system for the lowland and mountain bongo, revolutionising how they’re monitored in the wild. The technology was developed using images of the bongo population at the zoo and subsequently successfully tested in Kenya’s Mawingu Sanctuary, where the zoo is coordinating a collaborative effort that’s aiming to move up to 10 zoo-born mountain bongos, through the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), to boost their genetic diversity.

Experts say these innovative strategies, collaborative efforts with key partners including the Kenya Wildlife Service, Bongo Surveillance Project, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy, and the IUCN Antelope Specialist Group, and leadership in coordinating the Mountain Bongo EEP, are all crucial for ensuring these unique species have a future in Africa.


Mountain bongo facts

Scientific name: Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci

The mountain bongo is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) meaning they face an extremely high risk of becoming extinct in the wild

They are threatened by habitat loss to agriculture and hunting for their meat, horns and hides

Standing around 1.1 to 1.4m tall at the shoulder, adult male bongo can weigh over 300kgs

They have a long flexible tongue, which helps them to reach food, and strong long horns help them to find food by uprooting plants. Their horns are also used by males for sparing over females

They walk with their heads tilted back when moving through forests so they don’t get stuck in branches

Mountain bongo boast large sensitive ears help them to sense and escape from ambush predators such as leopards and hyenas

“For nearly 30 years our teams have worked on the ground in Uganda, Nigeria and Gabon in Africa, working hand in hand with wildlife authorities, in-country partners and local communities in an effort protect some of the world’s rarest wild chimpanzee populations and their forest homes. These collective efforts, paired with the conservation breeding programme in zoos, gives us hope that we can create a future where chimpanzees thrive long into the future.”

Joy as first baby aardvark is born at Chester Zoo

Sleepy baby aardvark is pictured snuggling up to new mum, Oni

Calf is being hand-reared by conservationists who are providing around-the-clock care for the youngster

Zookeepers have nicknamed the new arrival ‘Dobby’ after its close resemblance to the beloved Harry Potter character

Bizarre-looking baby has ‘giant ears, wrinkly hairless skin and giant claws’

The species is threatened in the wild by habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict and hunting