A Wallaroo joey is currently being hand-raised by zookeepers at Oakland Zoo. The joey was orphaned when his mother passed away, earlier this month, from an infection.

The male joey is approximately 5 months old. He will be receiving round-the-clock nurturing and care until he is about 8 months of age, when a joey normally emerges from a mother’s pouch. At that age, he will be housed with other Wallaroos in the Zoo’s “Wild Australia” exhibit and learn to be independent.

The joey, yet to be named by his keepers, is bottle fed seven times per day with a high-grade baby formula manufactured in Australia called ‘wombaroo’. Bundled inside a makeshift pouch in a temperature-controlled room, he is also given water twice per day for hydration, as the inside of a mother’s pouch provides moisture and warmth.

The joey’s mother, named Maloo, was three years of age and a first-time mother. On March 1, while on exhibit, she had removed the joey from her pouch, an indication to zookeepers of a problem. Oakland Zoo veterinarians examined her, discovering that she was in need of antibiotics due to an infection. She was treated, but sadly died the following day.

“While staff is very sad about the passing of Maloo, we are working with other AZA facilities to be best prepared for the intense care required to successfully hand-raise a Wallaroo. We are keen to get to know the little joey and prepare him for life with the rest of the mob,” said Andrea Dougall, Assistant Zoological Manager at Oakland Zoo.

Photo Credits: Oakland Zoo

Keepers are taking the joey outside for sun twice per day, and zoo veterinarians are also closely monitoring the infant’s progress. In addition to weight monitoring, tail length, feet, and head size are measured during daily physical exams to ensure health and proper growth. This hands-on infant care will continue for the next three months, until he has grown enough to live independently.

This doe-eyed Eastern Wallaroo was born in mid-August 2010 at the Oakland Zoo, but he's just now coming into the world. Why? 

Wallaroo babies, called Joeys, are technically born after only one month's gestational period - fur-less, blind, and about the size of a kidney bean (1’’long). This tiny newborn will crawl unaided from the birth canal to the mother’s pouch where it begins to nurse. There it will continue to develop, not making an appearance until it is six to eight months old.

Typically, a Joey will not start coming and going from the safety of its pouch with any regularity until approximately ten months of age... but can be seen for short periods between eight and nine months.  It will feed from mother's milk for 18 months, though on warm days during that time it may go out of the pouch to have a little bite of grass.

Related to the kangaroo, there are four types of Wallaroos: Eastern Wallaroos, the Northern, the Barrow Island Wallaroo and the Euro. The Eastern Wallaroo, like this one, is found throughout Australia.They seek refuge from the sun in caves and under ledges by day and feed at night, finding water by digging in dry creek beds. The dingo and the Wedge Tail eagle are predators of young Wallaroos. Once fully grown though, they can remain completely still to avoid being seen by predators, but are also capable of escaping at quite high speeds.