Kangaroo+Conservation

=Kangaroo Conservation =

The **Red Kangaroo species **, unlike its smaller marsupial counterparts, __is doing well__.
Along a Conservation Rating scale (shown via a dial at the Milwaukee County Zoo), the prevalence of a species can go from: **Stable** (Doing O.K.) > to **Vulnerable** (Heading for Trouble) > to **Endangered** (Deep Trouble) > to **Critical** (Almost Gone) > to **Extinct** (Gone).

====According to the above scale, the __Red Kangaroo population__ is **"Stable"**. In fact, Australia manages the Red kangaroos in sustainable herds, and they can be hunted in season.====

__**For the Tree Kangaroos, it's a different story**__:
====The smaller Kangaroo types are more threatened by habitat change and human impacts. According to the above scale, the **Tree Kangaroo** population is **"Endangered"**. The Tree Kangaroos, found mostly in the rain forests New Guinea (and a few nearby islands), are dependent upon the plants and trees in the rain forest canopy, which have been shrinking worldwide. ====

====Human need for the kangaroo's habitat and wild dogs (or dingoes) also threaten the population. The kangaroo's habit of leaving the forest canopy at night to eat has led to deadly interactions with cars.====

__Photo credits__: All of the photos on this page were taken by our teammate, Marcia, in the Tree Kangaroo exhibit at the Milwaukee County Zoo.