An endangered Matschie's tree kangaroo at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle is recovering after veterinarians amputated her right arm to stop a rapidly spreading bacterial infection. Poppy, a young female who will turn 3 next month, underwent the surgery the week before the diagnosis became public, after a CT scan showed the infection advancing through one of the bones in her forearm.
According to KOMO, the trouble first surfaced in late August, when Poppy's animal care team noticed she was holding up her right front foot while moving around her habitat. The zoo's animal health team performed a diagnostic exam under anesthesia and found the bacterial infection in one of her forearm bones. Per the zoo, it remains unclear when or how Poppy contracted the infection.
Poppy was treated with multiple antibiotics and pain medications and was continuously monitored afterward, but the station's report notes she showed little to no improvement in mobility. Woodland Park Zoo then worked with outside veterinary teams to perform a CT scan, which showed the infection spreading further. Based on that imaging and ongoing observation, her health care team and animal keepers determined amputation was the best option.
Zoo Says Infection Is Not Contagious
The zoo said the infection is not contagious and that no other animals or humans are at risk of contracting it from her. Poppy is now recovering in an off-view space where her animal care team can observe her closely, in a habitat that is not viewable to zoo guests.
Woodland Park Zoo veterinarian Dr. Laura St. Clair said Poppy showed positive signs of healing during a check-up the morning of the report, adding that “we are cautiously optimistic that she can adjust to a new life with three limbs,” per the same account. Erin Sullivan said the animal care team's daily attention and observational skills were what identified Poppy's challenges in the first place.
Amanda Dukart said the team was taking Poppy's recovery day by day and closely monitoring her, hoping she can have a good life after healing. Dukart also said Poppy was adjusting to her new life fairly well considering the circumstances, and that she was amazed and inspired by her recovery, noting that animals are resilient and can adapt in surprising ways. Her animal care team will provide extra attention in the coming days and months as Poppy heals and adapts.
A Rare Species Far From Home
Matschie's tree kangaroos live only on the Huon Peninsula of northeastern Papua New Guinea, according to the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program. The organization describes them as an endangered species, citing a 2014 IUCN estimate of fewer than 2,500 individuals remaining in the wild. Tree kangaroos are arboreal marsupials that spend nearly their entire lives in trees, relying on climbing and jumping skills to get around their forest habitat.
Poppy arrived at Woodland Park Zoo in June under a recommendation from the Tree Kangaroo Species Survival Plan, a cooperative program across accredited zoos and aquariums designed to support healthy, self-sustaining populations of threatened and endangered species. Woodland Park Zoo participates in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' version of that program for the species, per the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program.
Managing Tree Kangaroo Health in Captivity
Tree kangaroo health in managed facilities has been documented for more than 30 years, including examinations, diagnoses, treatments and transfers between institutions, according to a veterinary chapter published by ScienceDirect. That chapter notes tree kangaroos have a primitive immune system and are susceptible to diseases including Mycobacterium avium complex, with MAC infections documented in North American zoo collections and linked to immune dysfunction in these animals.
Separate research in Papua New Guinea, reported by Veterinary Practice News, found no radiographic signs of MAC among 14 wild Matschie's tree kangaroos imaged in the YUS Conservation Area, though lab samples were still being analyzed. Researchers said the absence of known MAC cases in the wild supports, without proving, a hypothesis that an environmental cause could make tree kangaroos in human care more susceptible to the infection. That same report notes Woodland Park Zoo's Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program has worked with local landowners and Papua New Guinea's government for more than 25 years to conserve the species, and that radiographed wild kangaroos showed old tail-vertebra injuries and healed rib fractures, though less skeletal trauma than researchers expected.
Where to See Tree Kangaroos at the Zoo
Visitors can see Matschie's tree kangaroos in the zoo's Forest Trailhead exhibit, which opened in May 2026 and also includes a red panda, kea, reptiles, amphibians and fish species. Kea are alpine parrots native to New Zealand. Poppy herself remains off-view while she recovers, with her care team watching closely as she learns to navigate life with three limbs.
