Brevard Zoo: Baby kangaroo abandoned by mother to be hand-raised

A red kangaroo joey abandoned by its mother at the Brevard County Zoo is now being raise by hand, the zoo said Tuesday.

The 5-month-old female kangaroo was ejected from her mother, Jacie's, pouch on Jan. 23 due to stress from a recent storm, according to Brevard Zoo.

Zoo keepers made several attempts to put the joey back in Jacie's pouch, but decided to raise the baby kangaroo by hand after their attempts were unsuccessful.

Kangaroo babies or joeys typically stay in their mother's pouch for about seven months, Brevard Zoo director of animal programs Michelle Smurl said.

"We think this joey is five months old, so the situation is still very precarious,” Smurl said.

Zoo keepers will feed the joey every four hours and weigh her, according to the zoo. The joey is the fifth baby born to Jacie.

The young kangaroo and the group of Brevard Zoo kangaroos, called a mob, will be on display starting in late May when the "Australasia" section of the zoo reopens.

Watch video of the joey receiving care at the zoo above.


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