World News for Students of English

09-06-2015 07:00

A baby albino kangaroos has come out if its mother’s pouch for the first time at a Russian zoo, captivating visitors. The baby born last year made its debut appearance after a year of hiding and officials were able to confirm the joey is, in fact, a boy.

“He first started showing from the pouch in March. Before this, we only had an idea that there could be a baby kangaroo in the pouch. Then we saw that the baby kangaroo had light fur. He was pink with red eyes, and we understood that we had an albino kangaroo, one in a thousand.”

The white marsupial wouldn’t stand much chance of survival in the wild, but he’ll be safe in his shady closure in the zoo.

Albino kangaroos are often more at risk than their dark brown counterparts, as they stand out, attracting more predators. They’re also more susceptible to skin cancer and sunburn and more likely to have sight and hearing difficulties. But it seems this young roo and his mother are getting along just fine together.

“The mother and son are living well. They’re getting on without the father. The mother is resting after pregnancy. It is very likely that she is pregnant with her second baby kangaroo, but this is not yet confirmed.”

Difficult words: captivate (to interest), joey (a young kangaroo), fur (hair), marsupial (a mammal like a kangaroo), susceptible (likely to suffer from an illness), roo (kangaroo).

Source: www.ondemandnews.com