Finni and Soya— Matschie’s tree kangaroo joeys receive names

Posted by Craig Newberry, Communications

Hello Finni! Photo by Craig Newberry/Woodland Park Zoo

Woodland Park Zoo is excited to announce the names of our newest endangered Matschie’s tree kangaroo joeys! The female joey is named Finni, and the male will be known as Soya—both were named by good friends of the zoo, Patti Savoy, and Linda and Harmut Peters. 

 

Soya, photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo

The name Finni was inspired by the Finisterre Mountain range in the YUS Conservation Area in Papua New Guinea. Soya was named to honor a ranger who passed away this year and worked with the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program.

Female tree kangaroos Elanna, 15, and Omari, 14, gave birth to the joeys in August 2022—the zoo’s male tree kangaroo Rocket, 9, fathered both.

Finni, photo by Craig Newberry/Woodland Park Zoo

The personalities of the joeys are beginning to shine through, and both are very unique! Soya, born to Omari, is cautious but curious. He likes to hang out close to his mom and watch animal keepers from high above. Elanna’s joey, Finni, is more outgoing and enjoys jumping on mom’s back.

Soya and Finni can be told apart by their face colorations. Finni has a half light, half dark face pattern, while Soya’s face is primarily dark, with a little spot of light fur in the middle of his forehead. They also have slightly different head shapes.

Right now, the zoo is actively fundraising for a new home for the tree kangaroos: the Forest Trailhead. This new immersive, best-in-class exhibit, which will be home to Matschie’s tree kangaroos, red pandas and keas, is the capital, anchor project of Woodland Park Zoo’s $110M Forests for All comprehensive campaign. The exhibit, scheduled to open in 2026, will mark the first time visitors at Woodland Park Zoo will have an opportunity to see the tree kangaroos in a decade! Please note, tree kangaroos live in a behind-the-scenes habitat while their new exhibit is being built and are not visible to the public at this time. To learn more about supporting this new exhibit, please visit www.zoo.org/forestsforall

Discover how endangered wildlife is linked to your everyday consumer choices and practice forest-friendly actions at the zoo, from sipping shade-grown coffee to upcycling green materials.

 Image by LMN Architects

The Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program (TKCP) is a signature program of Woodland Park Zoo. TKCP works with local communities in Papua New Guinea to save endangered Matschie’s tree kangaroos and, in turn, works to benefit local communities through supporting education, health and livelihoods programs.

Soya and mom, Omari, photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo

Finni and mom, Elanna, photo by Craig Newberry/Woodland Park Zoo

Did you know?  

• Fifty percent of all tree kangaroo species are classified as either endangered or critically endangered. 
• There are 14 species of tree kangaroos found in only three countries: Papua New Guinea, Indonesia (the Province of West Papua) and Australia. 
• Papua New Guinea is home to most of the species, with six species exclusively found in PNG, three species found across both PNG and West Papua, three species found exclusively in West Papua and two species found exclusively in tropical north Queensland, Australia. 
• Woodland Park Zoo’s Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program and its partners in Papua New Guinea are working to strengthen the protection of wildlife and habitat throughout the country. 
• Major threats to tree kangaroos on the island of New Guinea include habitat destruction from logging and land clearing and overhunting. In Australia, the major threat is habitat loss and defragmentation and injury and death due to cars and dogs.

Soya on the move! Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo