Zoo gets four red kangaroos

STILL in time for the August vacation, the Emperor Valley Zoo has added four new attractions to its line-up.

The newest additions are four red kangaroos. There are two two-year old males and two 18-month old females.

The animals are not yet named, and the zoo said it will soon advertise a competition to name them. Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Minister Clarence Rambharat posted on his Facebook account that the four animals are from a line of red kangaroos bred and raised in captivity in the US for the purpose of research and education.

“Red kangaroos mature at age four when their standing height would be about six feet (males) and five feet (females).” He said the history, physical structure, reproduction and other aspects of kangaroos (marsupials) are an important part of education and research, and these kangaroos are available to local veterinarian students and anyone else with an interest in marsupials.

The zoo is anticipating a rush by children who are in the last two weeks of their vacation to flood the venue to view the animals.