The Detroit Zoo ’s 5 - calendar month - old wallaby joey wentmissingover the weekend , and yesterday zoo functionary suggested a ghost possible explanation : that the young marsupial may have been pluck out of its envelopment by a bird of prey .
The ruby-red - necked wallaby ( Notamacropus rufogriseous ) is a belittled marsupial specie aboriginal to eastern Australia and Tasmania . Marsupials are born untimely and finish their evolution inside their mother ’s sac , only venturing out when they are developed enough .
The joey vanished from a 2 - acre home ground in the Detroit Zoo ’s Australian Outback Adventure , which hosts 11 kangaroo and wallabies . Sprocket , the joey ’s 4 - year - old mother , also experience in the enclosing . At 5 ( or 6 — the zoo is n’t quite certain ) months old , the joey was just starting to pass time alfresco of Sprocket ’s pocket , concord to a Detroit Zoo Facebook postsharedjust two day before the creature ’s fade . It was last seen in its enclosure on Saturday afternoon .
A juvenile red-necked wallaby.Photo:Wikimedia Commons
The beast was about rabbit - sized , making it very attractive fresh fish for the owl and hawks that live near the zoo . “ At this time , we believe it is probable one of these aerial predatory animal was involved , ” functionary said in a Facebookpost .
“ We have surveillance photographic camera in a number of place in the menagerie , and our security measure squad is reviewing surveillance footage , ” Scott Carter , the master lifetime science officer with the Detroit Zoological Society , told FOX 2 Detroit . “ We also have lead television camera in a number of place . ”
It ’s not unheard of for zoo to lose animal in their fear . Last October , Gladys , a massive Eurasiatic bird of Jove - owl , escapedher Minnesota Zoo inclosure . Gladys was laterfoundcritically injured by a nearby wayside and go , but not before tasting freedom and , apparently , acaton someone ’s cap .
A red-necked wallaby joey in its mother’s pouch.Photo:Wikimedia Commons
hiss of prey will often go after animals that are n’t their common fair game , including belittled hound and Arabian tea . You may even come back aviral videoof an eagle try out to pluck a human baby off a golf course ; thankfully , in that case , the bird of Jove leave empty - taloned .
More : Scientists reckon Out Which Animals Were in a zoological garden Just by take DNA From the Air
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