Detroit Zoo reports a baby wallaby missing

Officials of the Detroit Zoo reported that a 5-month-old baby wallaby has gone missing from its premises.

Posting the missing news on Facebook, zoo officials said that the zoo staff last saw the wallaby around 5 pm on 7th May. Once reported missing, the animal care staff began the search operation. The post read that the zoo staff is engaged in examining the baby's habitat and its vicinity to locate the missing wallaby. Moreover, examination of the trail and zoo cameras is also underway.

The zoo officials ended the post on a sad note and wrote that the baby's survival is unlikely for an extended time away from the mother. The zoo is, thus, reviewing all the potential scenarios and remains hopeful of locating the joey unscathed.


The missing wallaby had just arrived at the zoo. The zoo had not named it, nor did the officials confirm its gender. However, the baby's mother has been disclosed to be a 4-year-old wallaby with a red neck called Sprocket.

Responding to the post, Colby Renee, a Facebook user, stated that she was at the wallaby exhibit yesterday around 4. Her daughter saw something at the back of the fence, which Renee thought to be a squirrel. She, however, reiterated that the animal looked bigger than a squirrel, making her assume it was another animal.

While the zoo responded to Renee's post for more details, many believe that the wallaby would be too young to climb the exhibit's walls.

Another user, Beth Ricci, wondered if the zoo had other wallabies, another female might have taken the baby. Yet another user, Amy Thompson, commented that it sounded like an 'inside job'.

As far as baby wallabies are concerned, they usually remain in their mother's pouches for up to 8 months, venturing out for short periods. The zoo said that the missing wallaby had just emerged from its mother's pouch and had commenced the independence process.

While the Detroit Zoo has been home to baby wallabies, a wallaby born in 2020 was the first in 20 years.

Whether the wallaby will be found or not is yet a mystery, but meanwhile, the zoo is hoping for the best possible outcome.