Community Corner
Red-Necked Wallaby Makes First Appearance at SF Zoo
Infant marsupial makes first trip from mother's pouch into the world in recent weeks.
A baby red-necked wallaby made the trip from his mother's pouch out into the world at the San Francisco Zoo in recent weeks, according to zoo officials.
The joey, an infant marsupial, was born in September 2011 and has been living in his mother's pouch since. The wallaby and its mother can be spotted at the Australian Walkabout at the zoo.
Zoo officials said red-necked wallabies are often mistaken for small kangaroos, but are a different medium-sized marsupial from Australia, that can grow up to 3 feet tall and weight between 25 and 60 pounds. They tend to live about 15 years in the wild. Babies remain in their mother's pouch for about six months before sticking their head out to take in their surroundings.
Find out what's happening in Half Moon Baywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Once out of their mother's comfort they are "parked" in a hidden location for about a month while the mother feeds.
The young wallaby continues nursing at this point for another nine months, zoo officials said.
Find out what's happening in Half Moon Baywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The San Francisco Zoo is located at Sloat Boulevard and the Great Highway.
— Bay City News
Got Patch? Sign up for our newsletter by clicking on the "Patch Newsletter" link on the top right of our homepage.
To receive news feeds about Half Moon Bay and the unincorporated Coastside between Montara and Pescadero, visit Half Moon Bay Patch on Facebook and "like" us here. Follow us on Twitter here.
Want to blog for us? Click here.
