Denver Zoo

Huon tree kangaroo joey pops out of mom’s pouch

The Denver Zoo is welcoming an endangered Huon tree kangaroo joey to first-time parents Pearl and Tristan.

The joey, a boy with a pink nose, was born in late July, according to a Thursday post from the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance. He was the size of a jellybean when born but has since grown bigger and stronger and is now poking his little head out of his mom’s pouch, the zoo said.

Over the past few months, zoo workers said they have been monitoring the joey closely using “voluntary pouch-check training” and a special scope to ensure the baby is meeting developmental milestones.

“We’re happy to report that both mom and joey are doing well!” the zoo said Thursday.

Pearl and Tristan arrived at the zoo in 2023 as part of an Association of Zoos & Aquariums breeding recommendation.

“Native to the mountainous rainforests of Papua New Guinea, Huon tree kangaroos are uniquely adapted for life in the trees, using their powerful forelimbs and long tails to climb and balance,” the zoo said.

— Elizabeth Hernandez, The Denver Post

DENVER AREA

Eight indicted in drug-weapons scheme

Eight people from the Denver area were indicted on federal charges related to drug trafficking, weapons and money laundering, the U.S. attorney’s office for Colorado said Thursday.

The suspects — all current or former residents of Denver, Aurora, Commerce City and Wheat Ridge — are facing charges of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute meth, fentanyl and cocaine, federal officials said.

Law enforcement officers arrested Dario Perez Quintero, 34; Guadalupe Mendoza Martinez, 46; Pedro Mendoza Martinez, 54; Abimael Felix Luque, 32; David Uvaldo Mora Sanchez, 32; Hector Joel Quijada Portillo, 30; Oscar Noel Ruelas Molina, 44; and Jose Alexis Guzman Felix, 30, according to court records.

The indictment, filed Tuesday, includes additional charges related to drug possession and distribution, illegal firearm possession and money laundering.

— Katie Langford, The Denver Post