Offspring in the zoo's Australian enclosure
Young emus and kangaroos
The first young animals of the year can be seen at Chemnitz Zoo. Both the kangaroos and the emus have had offspring.
Three young emus hatched between 4 and 6 February. Father Heinrich routinely looks after his offspring, which he has been incubating for almost two months. In the emus, the male alone is responsible for breeding, and the young are also led exclusively by the cock.
Heinrich and his offspring are currently housed separately from the emu hen Katharina. During the rearing of the young, the cock can become very aggressive in defence of his young and his territory.
This is the emu breeding pair's seventh offspring together. Heinrich hatched from an egg in a Danish zoo in 1994 and came to Chemnitz from Leipzig Zoo in 2006. Katharina is eleven years old and came to the local zoo from Neuwied Zoo in 2013.
Her flatmates, the two female kangaroos, also have kittens peeking out of their pouches. They were probably born at the end of last year and are now growing up in the pouch. It won't be long before they leave the pouch for a short time, but they will continue to return there for quite some time.
How old they are can only be estimated, as the birth goes unnoticed and the initially tiny young remain hidden in the pouch for many months. The sexes of the young are not yet known.
Note: Pictures can be taken from the paths. The emu rooster and chicks are on the large enclosure during the day together with the kangaroos.
Opening hours in March:
Animal park: 9 am to 5 pm, last admission 4 pm
Game enclosure: 8 am to 5 pm, last admission 4 pm