Albino kangaroo 'a hit' for German zoo

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DUISBURG, Germany, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Officials at a German zoo said a rare albino kangaroo born at the facility recently has proven popular with visitors to the facility.

Volker Grun, a biologist with the Duisburg Zoo, said Nala recently emerged from her mother's pouch after being born in January and she has brought an influx of visitors to the Ruhr region zoo, Spiegel Online reported Thursday.

"She's a hit," Grun said.

The biologist said officials did not realize the joey, as a baby kangaroo is called, was albino until May.

"It was during morning rounds when all of the sudden this white head popped up, and we had to rub our eyes and look again," he said.

Grun said Nala likely would not have lived this long in the wild.

"In the wild, albino animals generally don't make it," Grun said. "They're too easy for predators to find."