ROYAL OAK, Mich., April 9, 2007 – Three Bennett’s wallabies have joined the mob of red kangaroos at the Detroit Zoo’s Australian Outback Adventure, marking the first time in more than 20 years that wallabies have called the Detroit Zoo home. 

A four-year-old male, Rufus, and three-year-old females, Ruby and Scarlet, arrived this winter from the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro after that zoo’s kangaroo exhibit closed last fall.  After the requisite 30-day quarantine and physical exam by the Detroit Zoo’s veterinary staff, the trio was moved to an area adjacent to the Zoo’s red kangaroo habitat for a gradual introduction to their new mates.  The wallabies and ‘roos have adapted well to each other, according to zookeepers, and are now bounding around the Australian Outback Adventure together.

Wallabies and kangaroos share many of the same characteristics, including a long, muscular tail and excellent jumping ability.  Standing about 2-1/2 feet tall and weighing 30-50 pounds, Bennett’s wallabies are about half the size of the Zoo’s red kangaroos.  “People often mistake wallabies for baby red kangaroos,” said Scott Carter, Detroit Zoo Director of Conservation and Animal Welfare.

Bennett’s wallabies also have a slightly different coloring than red kangaroos.  The wallaby’s gray fur coat takes on a reddish hue over the neck and shoulders, earning the species the nickname “red-necked wallabies.”  They are also distinguished by their black paws and muzzle and white stripe on their upper lip.

Bennett’s wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus) come from Tasmania and are among the largest of the 17 species of wallabies.  Visitors can say g’day to the Zoo’s newest representatives of the land Down Under daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Australian Outback Adventure, where guests can get an up-close-and-personal look at marsupial life via a walking path through a simulated Outback habitat. 

The Detroit Zoological Society is a non-profit organization that operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Zoo.  Situated on 125 acres of naturalistic exhibits, the Detroit Zoo is located at the intersection of Ten Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, just off I-696, in Royal Oak.  The Detroit Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October – with extended hours until 8 p.m. Wednesdays during July and August – and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March.  Admission is $11.00 for adults 13 to 61, $9.00 for senior citizens 62 and older, and $7.00 for children ages 2 to 12; children under 2 are free.  For more information, call (248) 541-5717 or visit www.detroitzoo.org.  The Belle Isle Nature Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March, and provides educational programming with interpretive staff support from the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.  For more information, call (313) 852-4056.

 ###