Intense Search Underway at Detroit Zoo For Missing 5 Month Old Wallaby
Staff at the Detroit Zoo is heartbroken and frantically searching for a missing baby wallaby.
Just days after announcing the Detroit Zoo had a new addition to the popular Australian Outback Adventure habitat, the joey was reported missing. According to reports and a news release, the 5-month-old was last seen by animal care staff around 5 p.m. Saturday and was discovered missing from the habitat early Sunday morning.
The young wallaby, born to a 4-year-old red-necked wallaby named Sprocket, joined another joey born in 2020. That birth was the first at the Detroit Zoo in 10 years. It's often months after birth that a joey makes an appearance since immediately after birth they crawl into their mothers’ pouches where they continue to develop for a few months.
The Detroit Zoo made a statement on its Facebook page stating the following;
"Immediately, animal care staff began searching for the little one. Zoo staff is carefully examining the habitat and areas around it while also reviewing trail cameras and surveillance cameras all over the Zoo. At his or her age, the joey is just beginning the process of independence by spending time outside the pouch, but still nursing and spending time in the pouch. It is unlikely that the young wallaby can survive an extended amount of time away from the mother. We are reviewing every potential scenario and remain hopeful this joey will be found unharmed."
We are all sending positive vibes that the little joey is found safe and returned to his mom soon.