Adorable Kangaroo Joey Finds Comfort in Her Own Tail and It’s Too Sweet
If there's one thing most babies like, it's a pacifier. I guess this includes baby kangaroos too because this orphaned joey uses its own tail as one! The Kangaroo Sanctuary shared a video on Sunday, May 12th of a joey named Jumper all swaddled up in blankets, adorably sucking on her tail and it's the cutest thing you'll see today.
One of the joey's caretakers explains that just like human kids like to suck on their thumbs when they're young, kangaroo joeys often suck on their tails as a source of comfort. And it seems to be working for Jumper; she looks totally content all snuggled up and sucking on her tail!
This is just too cute! Jumper looks like she doesn't have a care in the world. I wouldn't mind snuggling up with her! The Kangaroo Sanctuary's fans left several comments about how adorable Jumper is, but @Amanda Gebhardt-Fuentes had my favorite comment, "Awwww! I learn something new every day on TikTok!"
Related: Rescuer Shares Baby Kangaroo’s Adorable Nighttime Routine
Facts About Adorable Baby Kangaroos
Sadly, all of the baby kangaroos at The Kangaroo Sanctuary were orphaned; sometimes mom abandoned or rejected them, they were separated from mom for whatever reason, and in many cases, mom was killed after being hit by a car.
A-Z Animals explains that when born, a joey is only the size of a lima bean and are completely dependent on their mothers. For the first year of their lives, they rarely leave mom's pouch. Caretakers at the sanctuary step in and act as mom, carrying the babies in backpacks or bundling them up in baskets to keep them protected for several months. A-Z also shared another interesting fact about joeys - they are born already potty trained, "Baby kangaroos can’t go to the bathroom unless their mom licks them to give them the sensation to go. Although this sounds less than appealing, the babies only produce at most a drop or two of waste at a time on account of how tiny they are."
Although the joey will live in mom's pouch until it's about a year old, it will begin to venture out and sometimes pop its head out to see what's going on in the world at about six months old or so.
As they grow, joeys learn to use their tails as a fifth limb. They use it to balance when they fight (known as boxing) with other kangaroos, as a weapon to defend themselves, when they jump, and when they need extra support. They've even been seen using it as an extra leg when just walking.
Baby kangaroos are so cute! I love learning random animal facts and can't wait to learn more about joeys as we continue to watch Jumper and her friends grow.
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