North Georgia Wildlife Park
North Georgia Wildlife Park
  • Home
  • Plan your Visit
    • Animal Experiences >
      • Splash! Experiences
      • What to Know Before Your Experience
    • Park Admission
    • Safari Drive Thru Admission
    • Family Discount Day
    • Dates & Directions
    • Loyalty Club
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Groups
    • Birthday Parties
    • Schools, Camps & Churches
    • Overnight at the Park >
      • Scout Groups
    • Pavilion Rental
    • Corporate Events
    • Zoo To You Programs
  • Special Events & Tours
    • Seasonal Events and Calender >
      • Family Night
      • Sunset Tours
      • Fall at the Zoo
      • Piggy Cuddles
      • Night of the Living Safari
      • Livestock 101
      • Art & Animals
      • Boo at the ZOO
      • Photography Tours
      • Spring & Easter
    • Behind the Scenes Tours
    • GOGA in the Wild
    • Safari Runs
    • Zoo Camp >
      • Zoo Day Camp
      • Teen Camp
      • Winter Camp
      • Kids Animal Academy
    • Specialty Tours & Experiences >
      • Photography and Filming
      • Proposal Experience
      • Virtual Package Options
    • Shadow a Zookeeper
  • Support
    • Loyalty Club
    • Adopt an Animal
    • Volunteer
    • Internships
    • Jobs
    • Sponsorships >
      • Sponsorship Info
      • African Penguin Sponsorship
      • Sloth Sponsors
    • Help during COVID
    • Memorial Funds >
      • Sariah the Cougar Memorial Fund
      • Vicki Sue (Draper) Davis Memorial Fund
      • Candice LaPointe Memorial Fund
  • About
    • Our Story
    • Mission & Values
    • Full Animal List
    • Zoo Am I Blog
    • Conservation >
      • Overview
      • Kangaroo Conservation
      • Recycle and Resources
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Gift Shop
  • Donation Days
  • 10% off for Residents&College Students
  • Survey

Ask a Zookeeper- Sacrificing Babies

3/17/2015

6 Comments

 
Picture
Question: My daughter Rachel recently came home and told us that she was told an interesting fact about kangaroos. She explained that when kangaroos are threatened by a predator they actually throw their babies out of their pouches and if necessary throw it at the predator in order for the adult to survive. Is this true?

Answer: Zookeeper Rick here, thanks for your question! It is an excellent one. It may sound strange and counter-intuitive, but it is indeed true. The method behind the madness is likely that if a mother kangaroo gets killed and eaten it can no longer reproduce, so in a sense the mother is sacrificing one baby so that many more can live.

That is actually not the only reason a mother kangaroo will sacrifice its baby, though. When a mother kangaroo has multiple different babies in various stages of development (for example one still in the fetal stage, one in the pouch, and one being weaned from the pouch), during harsh periods when resources are low a busy mom may not be able to support all three babies, and so may sacrifice one to boost the others' chances of survival.

As humans this behavior may sound appalling to us, but we rely on much more than rudimentary instincts to survive. Sacrificing babies for one reason or another is actually relatively common throughout the animal kingdom, for example some spiders such as black widows will eat their offspring as they hatch, and some monkeys will drop their offspring from trees if they are deemed unfit to cope with their group's social structure. In this sin-infected world where death threatens every living creature every day, God gave humans much more than just instincts to preserve ourselves and our kin. He gave us his own breath (Genesis 2:7) and created us in his image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27) so that we are all God's children and equally have a purpose to exist regardless of the circumstance. We are not expendable kangaroo joeys or one-in-a-million spider hatchlings, we are indispensable, one-in-one unique and loved human beings.


6 Comments
Rachel Stevens
5/27/2019 08:48:26 am

This was very informative and beautifully written

Reply
Salomon Alcantar
6/20/2019 09:53:29 am

Man, this is really cool, something I never knew before. I also really like how you tied it back to GOD and the bible in the end to complete it. Really cool.

Reply
Summer
8/23/2019 09:38:01 pm

I want to thank you for adding such a heartfelt response. I was amazed to see a religious reference to this question but it’s such a strong message that needs to be heard when life can seem so terribly disposable in today’s media.
Thank you

Reply
Ava link
1/21/2020 11:55:34 am

Does this happen for often?

Reply
Ad Iesu per Mariam
1/28/2020 02:39:48 am

Excellent response, Zookeeper Rick! Connecting animal behavior to the Fall places it in a context that makes it understandable. I ran into this by pure chance whilst looking for something else altogether, and am glad I did. Now I’m going to have to learn more about the North Georgia Zoo and Farm.

Reply
Rishav link
3/10/2020 11:26:01 am

Excellent answer by zookeeper Rick

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Zoo Keepers at North Georgia Zoo & Farm

    A mix of writings, pictures from those involved in taking care of the animals and educating guest!

    Archives

    January 2019
    June 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    July 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013

    Categories

    All
    African Crested Porcupine
    North Georgia Zoo
    Wildlife Wonders

    RSS Feed


    Picture
    Got a question about animals, habitats, zoo-keeping or more?
    Just ask a Zookeeper! 

    Your question and answer will then be posted on our North Georgia Zoo Facebook Page!

    *Please be sure to submit your name and age as well. *

    Click below to submit your question:

    Ask a Zookeeper
Directions
FAQ
Contact Us
Picture
2912 Paradise Valley Rd
​Cleveland, GA 30528
(706)348-7279
Picture
Picture