Joeys stay with mum until they are around 1 year old. Here in northern NSW they usually weigh around 3.5 – 3kg by this time.
Joey is tiny when born, and lives in mums pouch, drinking milk until around 6-7 months old.
Joey then starts sitting in mums lap, and by 8 months old can ride on her back and eat lots of leaves.
Joey still drinks milk from mum until around 10 – 11 months old. Once joey is weaned from milk mum is often mated again and joey is ready to move out of home and start its own life.
Some joeys, particularly the females, may stay near mums home range for the first year or so.
Because they need lots of trees, most joeys venture off to find their own home and may not ever see mum again because they move some distance away. Quite often mum will take joey somewhere outside her home range and leave joey. This is not mean or cruel, joey has learned everything from mum and quickly adjusts to being alone.
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