Adorable kangaroo celebrates its first birthday

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Lilly, a once helpless, frail kangaroo rescued and hand-reared by Brevard Zoo staff, turns one year old today.

Keepers marked the occasion with a kangaroo-friendly cake made of sweet potato, corn, lettuce and spinach.

Just the size of a jelly bean at birth, a red kangaroo joey typically remains in its mother’s pouch for the first few months of life.

Lilly was discovered on the floor of the kangaroo habitat on January 23. Attempts to reunite her with her mother were unsuccessful, so animal care staff made the decision to rear Lilly by hand.

The Zoo was at first cautiously optimistic about Lilly’s survival, but concerns lessened as she reached each milestone. After five months of constant human care and approximately 1,000 bottle feedings, Lilly was reunited with the Zoo’s kangaroo mob in late June.

“Lilly is a testament to the commitment we make to every single animal in our care,” said Michelle Smurl, director of animal programs at the Zoo. “Getting her to where she is today took an incredible amount of work, but it was worth every minute.”

 

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Information via Brevard Zoo