New enclosure for our red kangaroos

Over a three-month construction period, the old antelope house has been transformed for red kangaroos, turning it into a sunny oasis for these Australian marsupials.

Visitors can enter the enclosure via a curved visitor path and observe the kangaroos up close. On the animal side, the path is bordered by a 1.2 m high fence made of black locust wood. The facility has been designed to incorporate natural elements such as large boulders and roots as well as sandy areas and green grass for grazing. A shelter offers protection in wet weather.

The EUR 190,000 construction costs were funded entirely from legacies and donations.

The small size of the current indoor and outdoor enclosures and above all the lack of sun were key factors in the decision to build a new enclosure for the red kangaroos. The current enclosure is too shady for these sun-loving animals. Plus, the new enclosure can accommodate a larger group of kangaroos. Nevertheless, the current enclosure will continue to be used by our two remaining giant kangaroos for the time being, as a move is not an option for our ageing male kangaroo, Quincy, who is a little past his prime.

The new kangaroo group comes from Opel Zoo (Kronberg im Taunus) and consists of four females ‒ Kassandra (born 20 July 2018), Ronja (born 25 January 2020), Liddy (born 17 July 2020) and Agnes (born 15 May 2021) ‒ and two joeys, Elias (male born January 2022, mother: Kassandra) and M’Barek (male born January 2022, mother: Ronja). Next year we plan to expand the group with an adult male, who will then hopefully ensure some offspring.