IUCN Conservation Status –
Least Concern
Extinct In The Wild
Class: Mammals
Order: Diprotodontia
Family: Macropodidae
Our dusky pademelons live in a mixed species exhibit with our parma wallabies – they can be found at the top end of the zoo near the meerkats.
This rare marsupial is native to the island of New Guinea, and are also known as dusky wallabies.
Pademelons are herbivores, feeding on plants, shoots, grass, leaves and berries.
Interesting facts!
- The name, pademelon, is a indigenous Australian term for ‘small kangaroos of the forest’.
- As a marsupial they carry their young in their pouch, their young are called ‘joeys’ and will stay in their mothers pouch until they are at least 6 months old.
- Pademelons are a nocturnal species, resting during the day and searching for food during the night.
Conservation
The population of dusky pademelons has estimated to have declined by 30% in the last 15-20 years, largely due to trapping, hunting and habitat loss, which now means that they are classified as Vulnerable.
