A pair of kangaroo joeys at Berlin Zoo have taken their first hops after spending the early months of 2025 in their mother’s pouch.
After months snuggled in their mother’s pouch, two kangaroo joeys at Berlin Zoo have taken their first independent hops.
Siblings Roey and Magra were born at the zoo in January, alongside a third joey, which remains in their mother’s pouch.
As the spring arrives, the Zoo and other animal parks across the German city expect to welcome many new baby animals.
Kangaroos have a gestation period of between just 28 and 33 days, after which they give birth to an embryo the size of a Gummibärchen.
This Gummibärchen-sized embryo is birthed from the kangaroos vaginal canal and uses barely-developed hind legs to crawl six inches up to the mother’s pouch.
Inside the pouch, which is lined with soft skin akin to that on a human’s inner wrist, there are four nipples. The embryo latches onto one of these nipples, feeding and growing for the next 34 weeks. When ready, the joey leaves the pouch and makes its first bounds.
Thumb image credit: K.A. Willis / Shutterstock.com