This one should be a walk in the park for the Australian solvers out there, or really for anyone who’s ever watched a wildlife documentary about kangaroos. The clue is “Holder of a baby kangaroo” which is from the June 5, 2025 edition of the NYT Mini Crossword at 2D. We’re not talking about the mother literally cradling her little one in her arms, which they obviously can’t. Rather, the built-in feature everyone instantly pictures when it comes to kangaroos. Let’s get to the answer for the “Holder of a baby kangaroo” clue.
POUCH is the answer to the “Holder of a baby kangaroo” clue.
What Holds a Baby Kangaroo?
It’s incredible how fascinatingly weird nature can be, and I find joeys, aka baby kangaroos, as some of the most fascinating animals. Kangaroos are marsupials, which means they are mammals with a pouch, and the pouch itself is scientifically called a marsupium. As a joey develops, the mother’s pouch serves as a safe haven for holding, protecting, and nursing it. Other common marsupials include koalas, opossums, and wombats.
However, a common misconception many assume is that gestation for kangaroos happens entirely in the pouch. In reality, much like other mammals, the mother gives birth in the usual way.
What’s truly remarkable, however, is that joeys are born as extremely underdeveloped embryos. They are about the size of a jelly bean, blind and fragile. However, they instinctively crawl their way into the mother’s pouch, where they stay for up to eight months before coming out into the world. Simply incredible!
