It’s time to plan a visit to the Singapore Zoo, where you’ll get to say hello to two new tree kangaroos at the Australasian Zone. The newly-created indoor Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo exhibit, which opens today, gives you a close-up look at the adorable creatures.
And they’re one of the rarest animals under human care — only about 50 of these little guys can be found in zoos across the globe. Thanks to the recent arrival of Makaia and Nupela, our zoo now has a total of four tree kangaroos.
You can tell apart a Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo — which is also known as the ornate tree kangaroo — by a pair of golden stripes that trails down the centre of its back. Each creature’s tail has a unique pattern of yellow rings and blotches. They find their home in trees, and can leap up to 15 metres from the tree to the ground.
Here’s Makaia, the miracle tree kangaroo who made headlines in 2014 when he was adopted by a surrogate yellow-footed wallaby at 47 days old. His name means ‘magic’ in a Papua New Guinea dialect, and he arrived from Adelaide Zoo in Australia on July 4.
As for Nupela, who comes from Taronga Zoo in Sydney, she arrived here on June 1, after being the first Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo to be born in the Australian zoo in more than 20 years.
The pair were brought to the Singapore Zoo for breeding purposes, so we’ll be expecting good news from these bethrothed mates.
