ATLANTA, 2014-10-31 — /Travel PR News/ — Zoo Atlanta: Rory the red kangaroo has a new joey and the youngster can now be seen exploring the world from its mother’s pouch
WHO: Zoo Atlanta visitors have the rare opportunity to get a classic peek at motherhood, marsupial style. Rory the red kangaroo has a new joey, and the youngster can now be seen exploring the world from its mother’s pouch.
WHAT: The Animal Management and Veterinary Teams were unaware that Rory, who came to Zoo Atlanta from the Chehaw Wild Animal Park in Albany, Ga., arrived with a baby on board. The joey, whose sex is not yet known, is estimated to be 6 to 7 months old, and staff first detected its presence in summer 2014.
Red kangaroos are born hairless, blind and roughly the size of a jellybean. After a gestation period of 30 to 40 days, the neonate instinctively crawls to its mother’s pouch and begins nursing. Over a period of several months, the newborn continues to develop until it is large enough to begin venturing from the pouch.
Zoo Atlanta’s Outback Station is home to five adult kangaroos. Numerous in their native Australia, red kangaroos are Earth’s largest marsupials. Their primary threats are dingoes and humans, and the species is not currently at risk.
WHERE: Zoo Atlanta
800 Cherokee Avenue, S.E.
Atlanta, GA 30315
CONTACT: Keisha N. Hines, Senior Director of Communications, Strategic Partnerships & Innovation
404.624.5980 – office
404.309.2238 – cell
khines@zooatlanta.org
ABOUT: About Zoo Atlanta
Founded in 1889 with the purchase of a bankrupt traveling circus, Zoo Atlanta celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2014. Viewed as one of the finest zoological parks in the U.S., the Zoo is a proud accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), with a mission to inspire value and preservation of wildlife through a unique mix of education and outdoor family fun. From well-known native wildlife to critically endangered species on the brink of extinction, the Zoo offers memorable close encounters with nearly 1,400 animals from around the world. Highlights include Mei Lun and Mei Huan, the only twin giant pandas in the U.S.; the nation’s largest zoological collections of gorillas and orangutans; and a global center of excellence for the care and study of reptiles and amphibians. Up-close-and-personal experiences include giraffe feeding, permitting guests to hand-feed Earth’s tallest living land mammals, and behind-the-scenes Wild Encounters with African elephants, giant pandas, lemurs and Aldabra giant tortoises. The Zoo is open daily with the exceptions of Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Keeper talks, interactive wildlife shows, education programs and special events run year-round. For more information, visit zooatlanta.org or call 404.624.WILD.
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