Kangaroo Gives Birth To An Albino Baby That Looks Exactly Like His Dad

Sep 26, 2020 by apost team

Although we have discovered plenty of species in the wild, there is still more to be found. With every discovery comes an exciting feeling as we realize that we have witnessed something unique. One recent discovery was so glorious that it has gained fame all across the internet.

An albino Eastern Grey kangaroo was born in August of 2020 after its mother, Cindy, mated with Marloo, a kangaroo who had a unique genetic mutation. The joey was born at Panorama Garden Estate southeast of Melbourne, Australia.

The joey's condition was visible as soon as it looked out of its mom's pouch. The condition means that the joey's body is entirely white. This rare condition called albinism results in a loss of pigmentation throughout the body.

Albinism in kangaroos is an extremely rare condition and occurs once every 50,000 to 100,000 kangaroos, Annemaree Van Rooy, a spokesperson for the estate, told UNILAD. Although this is a rare trait, this is not the first albino kangaroo that the estate has welcomed. The owner of the estate claims that his first albino kangaroo was born years ago. Now, there is a mob of nine albino kangaroos residing on his estate.

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In the wild, this genetic condition can make life very difficult for a kangaroo. They typically rely on their black and grey appearances to hide from predators. Because they have poor eyesight, they are already at a disadvantage. The combined factors of albinism and poor eyesight can put a kangaroo in very dangerous situations. Not to mention, it may be difficult for the kangaroo to find a mate or escape poachers.

Poachers typically target unique kangaroos, making these albino animals prime targets. Thankfully, they are well protected and cared for at the estate. They live among other glorious creatures, including Alexander the Great, a white peacock.

The main predators of the kangaroo include dingoes and wild dogs, reports Bush Heritage. There has been an increase of kangaroos in the wild recently as the number of predators has decreased. This is largely due to the construction of a dog fence along the length of the habitat. By keeping dingoes and wild dogs away from the habitat, kangaroos can freely mate and rare colors have a higher rate of survival.

Kangaroos that are given a natural disadvantage have been found to be the center of attention within mobs. The other kangaroos typically exhibit protective behaviors when an albino kangaroo is within the vicinity of a threat. This is best seen as the ring effect. When in the presence of dingoes or wild dogs, the other kangaroos would form a ring around her and protect her from whatever threat was coming their way. The protective behavior would not change even as the kangaroo grew up. Researchers have observed common kangaroos protecting an albino mother and her joey.

This adaptation has greatly increased the rate of survival of unique kangaroos within the wild. It is due to the shared efforts of humans and nature that we can now witness magnificent animals such as these today.

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