Female kangaroo with an adopted young in her pouch. The light blue eartag in the ear of the young kangaroo was applied when captured in the pouch of another female. (Photo courtesy of C. Le Gall-Payne)
For the first time, researchers have observed wild kangaroos adopting young kangaroos.
In a six-year study of eastern grey kangaroos in Australia, 11 of 326 juveniles were adopted and four of them involved ‘switches’ between mothers. In these switches a mother adopted a juvenile while simultaneously abandoning her own, or a previously adopted, offspring.
The observations baffles the authors as these adoptions did not improve, nor decrease, offspring survival.
They conclude that eastern grey kangaroo mothers may have difficulty in recognizing their own offspring.
Original research paper published in PLOS ONE on May 13, 2015.
Names and affiliations of selected authors
