Goodfellow's tree kangaroo

« Two species of tree kangaroos are housed at the ZooParc de Beauval »

Tree kangaroos

Master stuntmen

It is with good reason that we refer to these animals as “tree kangaroos”. They belong to the same family as kangaroos and wallabies and share many genetic traits with them. The main difference between these species is in their lifestyle. The longer, cylindrical tail of tree kangaroos, their powerful front legs, and their short hind legs are more suited to life in the trees than to travelling on land. They are in fact excellent climbers and can also jump from the top of a tree and land on the ground 18 metres below, uninjured.

Tree kangaroo - Animals of ZooParc de Beauval

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News about a tree kangaroo in a pouch

Discover the latest births bringing life to Beauval! Eurasian eagle-owls, ducks, spectacled owls, and even adorable baby tree kangaroos.

Beauval Nature preserves the habitat of tree kangaroos

Tree kangaroos living in Papua New Guinea are threatened by habitat destruction. This threat is linked to the conversion of forests into agricultural land.

The Woodland Park Zoo (USA), supported by the Beauval Nature association, has worked to create protected areas for tree kangaroos in Papua New Guinea, amongst other things. In 2009, a protected area in the Huon Peninsula was officially recognised. Thanks to the creation of this reserve, natural resources can be preserved, as well as Huon tree kangaroos.

This programme placed 3rd in the “Conservation” category of the Sponsors and Patrons Award in the 2019 Beauval Nature awards.

Discover this program

Tirrikee, the greedy tree kangaroo

Tirrikee is one of the ZooParc’s male Goodfellow’s tree kangaroos.

And he’s a total greedy guts! Though he enjoys all meals, he is particularly fond of the bread given to him during medical training.

Tree kangaroo’s news

Sponsor our Goodfellow’s tree kangaroos

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Endangered

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Learn more about the species

Range

Oceania

Diet

Herbivore
Gestation period

45 days, 10 to 12 months in the pouch
Litter size

1 to 2 young
Habitat

Mountains, Tropical forests

It’s in the bag!

The tree kangaroo is a marsupial: a mammal with a pouch in which the baby continues to grow after birth. This species reaches sexual maturity at around two years old and can reproduce all year round. Usually, the female tree kangaroo gives birth to one calf at a time, after a gestation period of 45 days. At the end of this period, the embryo will continue its development in the maternal pouch for 10 to 12 months.

There are many species of tree kangaroos

Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo is just one of a dozen or so species of tree kangaroos! All are endemic to Oceania, with most sharing a vast territory in Papua New Guinea and a couple of species living in Australia. They are mainly found in tropical forests in these countries, and some have been observed in mountainous regions.

Primarily folivorous, yet…

The tree kangaroo mainly feeds on whatever it can find within arm’s reach in the trees: leaves, fruit collected from trees, bark, flowers, etc. When necessary, they may even come down from their perch to retrieve food that has fallen on the ground. From time to time, they may also include certain little supplements in their diet, such as eggs or even… baby birds!