The Lincoln Park Zoo's newborn red kangaroo peeked out of its mother's pouch for the first time on Thursday.
The critter was born in May to its 7-year-old mother, Anna, and 5-year-old father, Jacob. Like other kangaroos, the baby has been spending its first months inside Anna's pouch.
"This little roo has been very secretive so far," curator Diane Mulkerin said. "Animal care staffers suspected the pregnancy in mid-spring and have been watching very closely ever since. At the end of July, they started seeing movement around mom’s abdomen, and at long last, the little one has finally begun to peek out of the pouch."
The newborn will spend a couple more months inside the pouch before it begins to hop around on its own. Once it is completely out, the zoo will be able to determine its gender and give it a name.
Anna and Jacob's baby was the first red kangaroo to be born at the Lincoln Park Zoo. The tiny critter weighed less than an ounce at birth.
Visitors can visit the family at the zoo's Antelope and Zebra area.
