CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has announced the arrival of a new addition: a Matschie’s tree kangaroo joey, marking the first offspring for parents Kiari and Modi.
The zoo shared the joyful news on May 7, just in time for Mother’s Day. According to officials, the newborn joey is currently bonding with its mother behind the scenes and is expected to make its public debut soon in the zoo’s Australian Adventure habitat.
“We’re thrilled to welcome this joey, a significant birth for the species and an exciting moment for our guests,” the zoo shared in a statement, encouraging visitors to stay tuned for updates.
Matschie’s tree kangaroos are native to the mountainous rainforests of Papua New Guinea and are considered a vulnerable species due to habitat loss. Zoo officials hope the birth will help raise awareness about conservation efforts for these rare marsupials.