When baby Bennett's Wallabies reach about two to two and
a half pounds they begin to venture out of their mom's
pouch. It is at this point that we bring them inside,
provide them with a bigger pouch (that they won't outgrow)
and put them on a bottle.
One of the weekly evening
activities at summer camp is called the Circle of Life.
During this activity, animals are brought around to each
cabin for campers to hold and have their picture taken with
each animal. The baby wallabies are one animal that is
featured during this activity. This way every camper
at camp is able to say that they held a baby Bennett's
Wallaby in a pouch and have physical reminder of the
experience.
Bennett's
Wallaby as a pet
The Bennett's Wallaby, like
the kangaroo, are among the most recognized of the
marsupials found in the Australian region in the wild. They
are found in open areas, brush areas, rocky outcroppings and
forests. The wild wallabies feed on grasses and brush. Many
varieties of the wallaby exist in the world. The Bennett's
Wallaby is one of the most common found in the world today.
At maturity the Bennett's
Wallaby reaches a height of about 24 to 30 inches and weighs
between 30 and 50 pounds. The males wallaby usually take on the
larger size characteristics after several years. They are
normally a brownish gray in color with light stomachs. Some
albino varieties do exist, but are rare. With shelter, the
Bennett's Wallaby can survive in cold weather up to 20
degrees below zero.
Bennett's Wallabies are a social animal and live in groups
called mobs. They have an alertness about them when someone
or something approaches them. They otherwise tend to graze
and stay relaxed. They are constantly grooming their fur
coat. They like to lay out and take in the sun and fresh
air. They even enjoy the rain, so don't waste time trying to
get them in their shelter. Bennett's Wallabies seem to be
more of a silent communicator using motions and moves to get
their points across. This information was taken from
www.horsehavenfarm.com
At Cub Creek Science Camp we
have a mob of Bennett's Wallabies. Our male Bennett's Wallaby is
Jeffery and our female Bennett's Wallabies are Thumper,
Elizabeth, Candy and Mandy. Right now we have two
young Bennett's Wallabies named Kanga and Tanga. They
are a favorite of our campers who like to feed them and pet
them during our summer science camp.
From our experience at Science Camp Bennett Wallabies
can make good outdoor pets. A tall fence of at least five feet
is required and landscaping that will not be negatively affected by
their foraging.
