Page 50 - The World of Animals

KANGAROOS

AND THEIR

POCKETS

You may ask, "Is it possible that an animal could have a pocket?"
Surprisingly, kangaroos have a "pouch" on their bellies where baby

kangaroos are fed and protected during their development.
48 The appearance of a joey (baby kangaroo) whose head appears

from its mother's pouch arouses feelings of compassion in us. This
baby, coming out of the womb when it was only one centimetre
(0.393 inches) long–that is before it was fully-developed–reached its

mother's pouch after a three minute journey.
There are four different nipples in the pouch of the mother. The new-
born sucks the nipple that issues a milk with just the right temperature

and amount of fat for a new-born. The other three nipples, on the
other hand, contain milk meeting the needs of an older baby. In a few
weeks, the new-born stops suckling its nipple and finds another nipple

from which issues a milk prepared for its own needs. As it grows older,
it finds a third nipple with the type of milk specially prepared for its

needs.
Children! At this point, you must ask yourself the questions, "How