Lincoln residents have named one of their newest, furriest neighbors.
A rare female Matschie’s tree kangaroo was born at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo in April 2025. As the joey approaches its first birthday, the zoo invited the public in February to help name the marsupial, voting between four finalists: Rosenke, Samala, Tarawe, and Yautoka — each idea honoring a Village Birth Attendant (VBA) in the YUS Conservation Area of Papua New Guinea, the home of Matschie’s tree kangaroos.
Voting closed March 5. Netting over 500 votes and more than 50 percent of the tally, the winning name selected: Samala.
Samala (pronounced sah-MAH-lah) is one of only three Matschie’s tree kangaroos born at Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited facilities last year. The joey’s name will be displayed at the tree kangaroo habitat inside the Animal Kingdom Building.
Samala, the tree kangaroos namesake, has been a part of the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program’s (TKCP) health project as a VBA since its start in 2005. VBA’s are local midwives who volunteer to support women through pregnancy and childbirth in remote communities where no doctors or trained nurses are available. Samala studied to become a midwife and attended every TKCP workshop available to her.
The Lincoln Children’s Zoo partners to support the TKCP by working to address the lack of basic healthcare in Papua New Guinea and providing essential training for VBA’s. The Zoo is also a program partner for Tree Kangaroo of Papua New Guinea SAFE (saving species from extinction).
“How does this help tree kangaroos? Conservation is deeply connected to the people who live in and care for their habitat,” the Zoo said in a statement. “Healthy communities are better equipped to help protect the cloud forests that endangered tree kangaroos depend on. By uplifting VBAs and community leaders, conservation becomes stronger and so does the future of this endangered species.”
Samala and her mom, Judie, can be found in the Matschie’s tree kangaroo habitat located inside the Animal Kingdom Building. The Zoo says they’ll be posting regular updates on Samala on their Facebook and Instagram, or through their weekly e-newsletter here.