Orphan kangaroo Walter rejoins Ystad mob

After a cozy start to life in the improvised pouch, the eight-month-old kangaroo was given the chance this week to hop about in the snow.

Walter was made an orphan after his mother died of a heart condition. The day before she met her end, she threw the joey out of her pouch and at the feet of a nearby keeper.

Since then, Walter has lived at the home of zookeeper Jonna Selim. But now that Walter has reached the ripe old age of eight months, Selim has begun taking him with her to the zoo to get to know the other kangaroos.

“He’s very cold a lot of the time. It’s good for him to get out so his fur starts to grow more,” Selim told the TT news agency.

And the sooner he develops a warm coat the better, because Walter is increasingly keen to leave his keeper’s humble home, often scratching at the front door in a bid to get closer to his fellow marsupials.

And the other kangaroos have welcomed Walter with open paws whenever he has paid them a visit. The male leader of the mob was the first to come forward and greet the newcomer.

“While it’s going to be really sad and I’m going to miss him, this is best for him,” said Jonna Selim.