JOEY’s ON THE TREE

Meet Joey, the baby tree kangaroo! Yep, just like their kangaroo cousins, these kiddos are known
as joeys too! Read on to know more about the cute animals from down under



Where do they live?
Like their name suggests Tree Kangaroos
live on trees – they’re arboreal. They
are rainforest animals. But not
just any rainforest – you will
only find them in Papua New
Guinea, West Papua and
Australia. There are about 14
different species of tree kangaroos
– some like to live in the
mountains (like the Matschie’s
Tree Kangaroo) while others prefer
the lowlands (eg Lowland Tree Kangaroo).

Are they small or big?
Adult Tree Kangaroos are large and quite
heavy. They have huge, strong limbs –
both their arms and legs are pretty much
the same size – which help them jump
from tree to free. They can jump up to 15
metres! Their specially cushioned feet
help, of course. Plus their super long tail,
which allows them maintain their balance.

What do they eat?
They’re mostly vegetarian or herbivorous as
scientists would say. Tree kangaroos eat
flowers, leaves, grass shoots, ferns, moss,
fruits, bark; some even eat eggs. They live
in trees, but they don’t mind grabbing stuff
from the ground either.

Are they endangered?
Not all, but a lot of the species are threatened.
The Scott’s Tree Kangaroo for instance
is critically endangered. Some tree kangaroos
are hunted by humans – the tribal people of
New Guinea enjoy tree kangaroo meat. But
the main threat for these guys is a loss of
their habitat. Because the trees are constantly
cut in these rainforests, the tree kangaroos
lose their homes.