Pinkie Season runs from autumn to spring (April to October) every year. It is when kangaroo joeys are still small and have not yet grown any fur, making them completely pink in color - hence the name "pinkie".
While it is always important to check pouches of deceased female kangaroos, it is especially important during Pinkie Season when joeys are in the early stages of development. During this time, joeys are too small to survive without their mother, but around this time of year, they may have developed to a stage where a wildlife carer can care for them, raising them to be later released into the wild.
If a pinkie joey is found, it should be left in the pouch and a wildlife rescue organization, like Wildcare, or a licensed wildlife carer should be notified to remove the joey safely. These organizations have the knowledge and resources to care for the joeys properly and prepare them for release back into the wild.
Did you know?
Female macropods have a unique reproductive system where they give birth to a tiny, underdeveloped joey, about the size and shape of a jellybean, which then crawls into its mother's pouch to continue growing and developing.