Kía
is the 6-months-old baby kangaroo that lost its mom, Anya , because of heart problems . Now, the caregivers of the Australian village of the Guadalajara’s Zoo , especially the veterinarian Alma Ortega , are in charge of giving basic and special care to the little pup of Red kangaroo .
Kangaroos are marsupials , which means that they breed in the uterus of the mother, but they finish their development in a kind of bag , grasped to the mammary glands , which contain three different kinds of milk for the nutrition on each stage of growth. The gestation lasts only a month and they are born measuring only 2 centimeters and weighing a gram ; in addition, they are blind , deaf and do not have developed paws .
Alma is in charge of feeding Kía, for which she uses a special substitute of milk for kangaroos, imported from Atlanta and which prevents malformations in paws or digestive problems; her diet is complemented with croquettes , also special. The experts hope that in about six months she starts a new diet that includes vegetables .
Equipped with a rucksack for babies and blankets , Alma substitutes the pouch to make Kía feel safe and comfortable, and thus begins the day. “If the weather is right, we take her out to jump and explore the place that will be her home. We have to feed her every three hours and then stimulate her to help her defecate and urinate,” she explains.
The care for the little kangaroo must be 24 hours . With the help of a handbook, Alma must follow each of the specifications in lockstep.
The breeding of a kangaroo is very long and heavy due to the different stages of growth they have,” says Alma. Kía will be in exhibition once her caregivers conclude with her breeding and she is a strong and independent kangaroo.
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