Roger Williams Park Zoo Mourns Loss Of Country’s Oldest Tree Kangaroo

Roger Williams Park Zoo announced today the passing of the oldest Matschie’s tree kangaroo in the country, Paul.

Paul had lived to be 23 years old, not a small feat for a Matschie tree kangaroo.

According to the zoo, the average life expectancy for Matschie tree kangaroos in a zoo is about 13-14 years. Paul surpassed that by a decade.

It was just this past January the Paul became the oldest Matchie tree kangaroo in the country. The zoo's executive director Dr. Jeremy Goodman was quoted on the RWPZoo Facebook page as saying,

It is a great testament to the love and care Paul received from his keepers, and veterinary staff that he lived such a long life.

Paul suffered from heart issues and the zoo says it was complications from these issues that had greatly reduced his quality of life recently.

The animal care staff at the zoo made the decision to euthanize him on March 27, 2018.

Paul was officially 23 year, 5 months and 5 days old when he passed.

Matschie tree kangaroos are native to the Huon Peninsula of Papua New Guinea and the nearby island of Umboi. They are an endangered animal due to habitat loss from logging, oil and mineral mining and exploration.