Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus) Fact Sheet: Managed Care

Caring for orphaned joeys

• More difficult than for many other mammals 
  • A natural response occurs when joey experiences a fall in nutrition quality:
    • Thymus glands shrink
    • Immunity to infection is lessened
    • Joey may die of bacterial infection
  • Care givers need to provide adequate nutrition to overcome this problem
• Require sunshine and exercise outside of the pouch substitute in order for strong bones to develop
  • The Achilles tendons need exercise to stretch as the leg bones grow
    • Without exercise, young kangarros will eventually be unable to walk or hop
  • Joeys need encouragement (from their mother or caregivers) to gain enough confidence to exit their pouch and explore the outside world

Red kangaroo at the San Diego Zoo.

Image credit: © San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. All rights reserved.

Staker (2006)