Matschie's Tree Kangaroo Archives

World Tree Kangaroo Day is Tues., May 21, and we have an exciting day of activities planned in Australia Walkabout to help raise awareness for tree kangaroo conservation.

Only about 2,500 Matschie’s tree kangaroos remain in the wild in their only known habitat: The Huon Peninsula of northeastern Papua New Guinea. Threatened by logging and mining exploration, the marsupial arboreal species is considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

At CMZoo, we support the Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo Species Survival Plan (SSP) by providing a home and care for tree kangaroos that don’t have current breeding recommendations, like Som. While Som receives quality care, she’s also contributing to the conservation of her species by inspiring and educating guests.

Check out some of the fun activities we have planned for World Tree Kangaroo Day!

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – join us for family activities in Scutes Family Gallery:
– Coloring pages
– Paper masks
– Button making
– Simulated pouch peek activity (find an imitation tree kangaroo joey in a pouch replica)
– “Walk like a tree kangaroo” activity
11 a.m. – keeper talk at the Matschie’s tree kangaroo exhibit in Australia Walkabout.
1 p.m. – puppet show in Safari Cabin (near the entrance to the Sky Ride).

This event and all activities are included in the price of your daytime admission to CMZoo.
Please note: advance tickets to the Zoo are required for members and the general public, and some days may sell out. Get tickets at cmzoo.org.

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Schedule of Activities:

10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Join us for family activities in Scutes Family Gallery:
— Coloring pages
— Paper masks
— Button making
— Simulated pouch peek activity (find an imitation tree kangaroo joey in a pouch replica)
— “Walk like a tree kangaroo” activity
11 a.m., Keeper talk at the Matschie’s tree kangaroo exhibit in Australia Walkabout.
1 p.m., Puppet show in Safari Cabin (near the entrance to the Sky Ride).

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New tree ‘roo Som (pronounced like ‘roam’) is settling into her new home and building trust with her new keepers. Som is a 3-year-old female Matschie’s tree kangaroo who joined Cheyenne Mountain Zoo about a month ago.

CMZoo supports the Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo Species Survival Plan (SSP) by providing homes and care for tree kangaroos that don’t have current breeding recommendations, like Som. While Som receives quality care, she’s also contributing to the conservation of her species by inspiring and educating guests.

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RARE, ENDANGERED AND ELUSIVE TREE KANGAROO SPECIES RETURNS TO CHEYENNE MOUNTIAN ZOO – Late Tuesday night, a fuzzy little face emerged from her comfy travel crate. It’s Som (which rhymes with “roam”), a 3-year-old female Matschie’s tree kangaroo, and brand-new member of the CMZoo family!

Som comes to CMZoo from another organization accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and CMZoo guests can see her right away in Australia Walkabout! While she settles in, keepers are getting to know her.

“We’re told she’s very curious and that she loves kale and steamed sweet potato, which we’ll happily provide,” said Amber Callen-Ward, lead animal keeper in Australia Walkabout at CMZoo. “We’re extra excited to welcome her because it’s the first time we’ve cared for a female tree ‘roo at CMZoo. So far, she seems really sweet.”

Last week, CMZoo’s former male tree kangaroo, Tristan, embarked on his exciting adventure to Denver Zoo, where he’ll have the opportunity to contribute to the future of his endangered species. Tristan has been recommended to breed with Denver Zoo’s Matschie’s tree kangaroo, Pearl, by the Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo Species Survival Plan (SSP). Read more about Tristan and Pearl here: https://www.cmzoo.org/news/archive/cheyenne-mountain-zoo-and-denver-zoo-play-matschies-makers-with-matschies-tree-kangaroos-tristan-and-pearl/.

The Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo SSP is led by members throughout the Association of Zoos and Aquariums network. SSPs track genetics of animals in human care and make recommendations for future breeding based on those genetics. The goal is to create the most genetically diverse population of animals in human care possible.

CMZoo supports the SSP by providing homes and care for tree kangaroos that don’t have current breeding recommendations, like Som. While Som receives quality care, she’s also contributing to the conservation of her species by inspiring and educating guests.

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Society was founded in 1926. Today, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, America’s mountain Zoo, offers comprehensive education programs, exciting conservation efforts and truly fantastic animal experiences. In 2023, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was voted #4 Best Zoo in North America and CMZoo’s Rocky Mountain Wild was named #2 Best Zoo Exhibit in North America by USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. It is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s goal to help guests fall in love with animals and nature, and take action to protect them. Since 2008, CMZoo’s Quarters for Conservation program has raised more than $4.5 million dedicated to frontline conservation efforts around the world. Of the 238 zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of just a few operating without tax support. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo depends on admissions, membership dues, special event attendance and donations for funding.

MALE TREE ‘ROO, TRISTAN, IS MOVING NORTH TO HELP SAVE HIS RARE, ENDANGERED AND ELUSIVE SPECIES – On Wed., Sept. 20, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s 8-year-old male Matschie’s tree kangaroo, Tristan, hopped onto I-25 in Colorado Springs and headed north to Denver with one of his new keepers. Tristan’s mission? To help save his endangered species by wooing Pearl, a female Matschie’s tree kangaroo who moved to Denver Zoo earlier this summer. With his pointy ears, bulbous pink nose, muscular tail and super-soft chocolate-and-caramel-colored fur, how could she resist?

Safe in his crate and fully awake for the journey, Tristan embarked on an adventure that his keepers at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (CMZoo) and Denver Zoo (DZ) hope will result in a perfect pouch bundle of joy for his future partner, Pearl.

CMZoo and DZ – and Tristan and Pearl – are working together to help protect the existence of the endangered arboreal marsupial species. Only about 2,500 Matschie’s tree kangaroos remain in the wild in their only known habitat: the Huon Peninsula of northeastern Papua New Guinea. Threatened by logging and mining exploration, the Matschie’s tree kangaroo is considered endangered by the International Union for the Conservancy of Nature (IUCN).

The neighboring Colorado zoos support the Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo Species Survival Plan (SSP), which is led by members throughout the Association of Zoos and Aquariums network. SSPs track genetics of animals in human care and make recommendations for future breeding based on those genetics. The goal is to create the most genetically diverse population of animals in human care possible. The rest is up to the keepers who work to welcome the animals to healthy and calm environments, then introduce potential partners.

“Tristan has been preparing for this moment for months,” said Amber Callen-Ward, lead keeper in Australia Walkabout at CMZoo. “We have been working with him on voluntarily entering his crate and staying calm and comfortable in his crate while we move him around. We want to make this move as low stress for Tristan and his keeper teams as possible. We have high hopes and total faith in our colleagues at Denver Zoo, and although there’s no guarantee Tristan and Pearl will have babies, we owe it to them and their wild counterparts to try.”

Tristan is making a permanent move to DZ on a breeding recommendation with Pearl, who moved to DZ earlier this summer. Tristan moved to CMZoo in 2017, where he’s been playing an important role of raising awareness and helping guests learn how to protect his wild counterparts.

Tristan will continue playing that important role as an ambassador at DZ’s Australia-themed experience, Down Under, slated to open in 2024. Anchored by an enchanting Wallaby Walkthrough, this immersive exhibit will feature some of Australia’s most unique and charismatic species, including Bennett’s wallaby, red kangaroo, tree kangaroo and cassowary. Water-wise landscaping will echo the animals’ home turf; and woven seamlessly throughout the entire experience will be authentic original multimedia artworks telling the story of First Nations peoples.

“This is the first time Denver Zoo has had tree kangaroos, so it’s very exciting for us to have Pearl and Tristan in our care,” said Marcia Salverson, Assistant Curator of Pavilions at Denver Zoo. “It will be wonderful for our members and guests to be able to see the two types of macropod species when Down Under opens next year—the ground-dwelling wallabies and arboreal tree kangaroos.”

For the first time, Tristan and Pearl will have the opportunity to contribute to the future of their species. They will be introduced for breeding when the time is right. Long term, the two ‘roos will live separately, and rotate between their indoor and outdoor habitats separately. Tree kangaroos are solitary in the wild, so this setup mimics that for them in human care.

While DZ supports the SSP’s recommendation to breed and raise young, CMZoo will continue to support the SSP as a ‘holding institution,’ which means they care for members of the species that don’t have a breeding recommendation at the time. Still, just as Tristan did for many years at CMZoo, future Matschie’s tree kangaroos that call Colorado Springs home will help inspire and educate visitors, who may otherwise have never known about this incredibly rare species. CMZoo plans to welcome a female tree ‘roo soon.

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Every membership and every visit to the Zoo is conservation in action. Although Cheyenne Mountain Zoo members can’t visit right now, they’re actively participating in important efforts to help wild animals.

Since 2015, including this year’s contributions, the Member Conservation Vote has provided $450,000 of membership revenue to support field conservation worldwide. Each year, a total of $100,000 of membership revenue is contributed to conservation in two ways:

$25,000 to the Quarters for Conservation program, which in total contributes half a million dollars annually to CMZoo’s legacy conservation partners.
$75,000 to projects voted for by CMZoo members through this annual vote.

“Over the years, members have funded projects that support organizations working to save species on the brink of extinction in places like Ecuador, Kenya, South Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia and more,” said Dr. Liza Dadone, vice president of mission and programs at CMZoo. “These grants make a huge impact for the small-but-mighty organizations that are defending animals on the frontlines. Although the Zoo is temporarily closed until further notice, in an effort to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, this is one of the ways our conservation efforts are continuing, even during the closure.”

From the safety of their homes, members participated in the 2020 Member Conservation Vote through a private link distributed to members via email. The two projects with the most votes will receive the full funding they requested. The number of votes received for the remaining four projects will help CMZoo decide how to distribute the remaining funds.

In addition to being able to support smaller conservation projects around the world, the Member Conservation Vote also allows the Zoo to support immediate needs that might not fit into our annual Quarters for Conservation funding parameters. One such project is the Zoos Victoria Bushfire Emergency Wildlife Fund in Australia.

In February 2020, CMZoo members approved sending $20,000 to Zoos Victoria, in response to the devastating fires in Australia. The funds support long-term care for bushfire-impacted animals, including supplementary feeding and habitat restoration, in conjunction with the Australia Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Parks Victoria, and associated recovery teams. Donations from Zoo employees, board members, docents and an internal Zoo donation matching program raised $6,900 in support of Zoos Victoria, making the collective donation $26,900.

The $20,000 donation came from the $75,000 allotted for membership conservation, leaving $55,000 for distribution among the projects nominated for the Member Conservation Vote.

This year, six projects were nominated in addition to the already approved Zoos Victoria support. Some projects, like building a wildlife corridor for lions, were brand-new. Others, like tracking mountain tapir, have received funding through this vote consistently for years.

“Considering everything going on in the world right now, it was especially important to us this year to engage our members in this vote and to remind them that they make a difference,” said Emma Repp-Maxwell, CMZoo membership manager. “We have been missing our members for more than a month, but we want them to know we’re grateful for their ongoing support, and that they’re still making a positive impact for wild animals through their memberships and through their participation in this vote.”

Drumroll, please. In order of member votes received, the 2020 projects receiving funding are:

Support a wildlife corridor for African lion – $5,600 fully funded

This funding will help map developing pipelines and highways and plan animal corridors before construction begins. It will also support data analysis and stakeholder meetings to get the right organizations involved in animal protection at the right time. Longtime conservation partner, Ewaso Lions, is hoping to protect lions by establishing wildlife corridors in northern Kenya. As more highways, railways, cities and pipelines are built in the heart of lion country, they hope to create the partnerships and infrastructure necessary to protect the many species that share and roam these lands as human influence expands.

Start an agroforestry project to protect Okapi habitat – $11,000 fully funded

In a continued partnership with the Okapi Conservation Project, this grant will provide farmers with tools, seeds, natural fertilizers, and education in sustainable agriculture practices. In addition, funds would support reforestation in the region. Found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the okapi is a mysterious member of the giraffe family that is threatened by poaching and slash-and-burn agriculture. This will empower local communities to produce food sustainably, safeguard water resources, and generate income while reducing economic dependence on mining and poaching, thus protecting okapi in the long run.

Observe tree kangaroos in their natural habitat – $7,500 fully funded

This grant will support the purchase of GPS tracking collars, camera traps and data loggers to better understand tree kangaroo behaviors, movements and habitat use. The Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program fosters wildlife and habitat conservation while supporting the livelihood of local communities in Papua New Guinea. Matschie’s tree kangaroos live high in the dense canopy of the cloud forests, hidden among thick moss that makes them very difficult to observe. The data collected through this observation project will be used to inform future habitat planning for tree kangaroo conservation.

Fund the banding and monitoring of East African crowned cranes – $11,000 fully funded

This grant will contribute to funding the first banding of 75 East African crowned crane chicks and support data collection about their behaviors and migration patterns to help inform future conservation efforts for this species. Found in Kenya, the East African crowned crane has seen a dramatic decrease in population over the last four years. The International Crane Foundation, Endangered Wildlife Trust and Leiden Conservation Foundation are collaborating to learn more about this species in order to stabilize its population.

Help track wild mountain tapir in Ecuador – $20,000 funded (partial funding awarded)

A continuation of past monitoring projects, these funds will support the GPS collaring of additional tapir in the wild and educational outreach for local schools. Found in Colombia, Ecuador, and the far north of Peru, only an estimated 2,500 mountain tapir remain in the wild. CMZoo is one of two zoos in North America that this species calls home. This project, based in Ecuador, has already yielded important data regarding the movement, behaviors and territory of this critically endangered species, which we hope will be used to protect its habitats.

For more information on CMZoo memberships, visit www.cmzoo.org/membership.

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Simply by visiting the Zoo, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo members and guests contribute to important global conservation work.

“Watching the devastating bushfires in Australia from our living rooms in Colorado can leave you feeling helpless and wondering what you can do to make a difference,” said Bob Chastain, CMZoo president and CEO. “It’s important to note that from every membership and every ticket to the Zoo, we set aside funds to support frontline conservation fieldwork around the world, and specifically now, in Australia. We want people to know that coming to the Zoo is conservation in action.”

Since starting in November 2019, the bushfires in Australia have devastated more than 27 million acres, claiming more than 30 human lives and more than a billion animal lives.

This week, CMZoo members voted to send $20,000 to Zoos Victoria’s Bushfire Emergency Wildlife Fund, in Australia. The funds support long-term care for bushfire-impacted animals, including supplementary feeding and habitat restoration, in conjunction with the Australia Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Parks Victoria, and associated recovery teams. Donations from Zoo employees, board members, docents and an internal Zoo match program raised $6,900 in support of Zoos Victoria, making the collective donation $26,900.

“We have been closely watching the devastation in Australia and working to find the best ways to support the recovery,” said Dr. Liza Dadone, CMZoo vice president of mission and programs. “Last week, we asked our members if we could send a portion of their annual Member Conservation Grant funds to Zoos Victoria. Our members’ collective supportive response was immediate.”

Each year, CMZoo members vote for conservation projects to receive a share of $75,000 allocated from membership revenue. The $20,000 donation comes from that membership revenue. In March, members will vote to guide CMZoo’s decisions about which other projects to support, as they do every year. Since 2015, including this contribution, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Member Conservation Grants have provided $395,000 of membership revenue to support field conservation worldwide.

“Because our members regularly visit Australia Walkabout at the Zoo, they have formed meaningful connections with the animals they’ve seen in these heartbreaking news stories out of Australia,” said Emma Repp-Maxwell, CMZoo membership and annual gifts manager. “As a leader in conservation, we’re committed to helping people make those connections, and taking it a step further by providing opportunities for our members to contribute to the amazing work being done to save and protect the animals left.”

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Society was founded in 1926. Today, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, America’s mountain Zoo, offers comprehensive education programs, exciting conservation efforts and truly fantastic animal experiences. In 2019, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was voted #6 Best Zoo in North America and CMZoo’s Rocky Mountain Wild was named #5 Best Zoo Exhibit in North America by USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. It is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s goal to help guests fall in love with animals and nature, and take action to protect them. Of the 233 zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of just a few operating without tax support. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo depends on admissions, membership dues, special event attendance and donations for funding.