Tama Zoo keeps a group of Red Kangaroo. On the evening of January 19, 2008, I was able to witness the birth of a kangaroo, something that is rarely observed!

That day, around 4:30 PM, a little later than usual, we opened the doors to the kangaroo enclosure to bring them inside. However, three of them were reluctant to go in. As this was a common occurrence, we went to get them ourselves and found the female, Misaki, curled up in a ball.

From past experience, this posture is often adopted when the kangaroo is feeling unwell. When I approached anxiously, I noticed it was licking its genitals and the area around its pouch. "Could it be giving birth?" In the case of kangaroos, the gestation period is said to be about one month, but because delayed implantation is observed, it is currently impossible to know when conception occurred.

Regardless of whether it was childbirth or not, I continued observing, thinking things like, "I've heard that they lick the area between the vulva and the scrotum to create a path so the baby doesn't get lost when it climbs up to the scrotum," and "But even so, she's licking a pretty wide area."

Then, I felt a spasm run through both my legs, which I had been stretching out straight. I wondered if it was labor pains, when suddenly the baby's head emerged from my vagina, ran up towards the sac, and seemed to say, "It's out! It's climbed up! It's burrowed in!!" and in about 10 seconds, it had burrowed into the sac.

Curling up and bringing the genitals closer to the pouch also shortens the distance the baby has to travel. This is thought to be a way to lick the baby's body to create a path for movement, as well as a way to ensure the baby's safe movement. The baby will likely grow and emerge from the pouch in late July.

*Regarding "delayed implantation" -- Kangaroos mate immediately after giving birth. Misaki was also observed mating the day after giving birth. The baby enters the pouch immediately after birth and spends six months there. In the case of kangaroos, whose gestation period is one month, once a fertilized egg is formed and implants in the uterus, the question becomes whether the pouch, where the baby will settle, is available. This is why the phenomenon of delaying implantation seems to occur. It is interesting to see how much implantation is delayed, but in any case, it will not be easy to witness Misaki's next birth.

[Tama Zoo]

(February 9, 2008)