The kangaroo in her enclosure at the Alipore zoo after the veil was taken off. Pictures by Bishwarup Dutta

A kangaroo is back on display at the Alipore zoo after almost two years.

The female marsupial that was born to one of the four red kangaroos brought from the Czech Republic three years ago can be seen prancing around in the enclosure in the eastern part of the zoo that once housed her parents.

She had been kept behind a veil to “protect it from stress” and prevent her from contracting the disease that had killed three of the four adult kangaroos within months of their arrival.

The four red kangaroos were the only marsupials in any zoo in the country.

Last month, the zoo authorities decided to remove the veil.

“In September 2012, the state zoo authorities on advice of experts in the state zoo committee had decided to cover the kangaroo’s enclosure to shield it from stress. Last month, the committee decided that the cover could be removed and visitors could see the animal,” said a member of the committee.

Since the cover was taken off early last month, visitors have been regaled with the sight of the young marsupial hopping on her hind legs and grazing on the grass in the enclosure.

“The kangaroo is popular with children. Most children have only seen kangaroos on TV and in pictures,” said an official of the zoo.

“The kangaroo, on a diet of roots and fruits, spends most of the day in the open. She is young and full of energy and often seen prancing around,” the official said.

The marsupial’s mother and three other red kangaroos had died within 13 months of their arrival from the Czech Republic in July 2011. Three of them died of a muscle ailment called myopathy, which was probably triggered by constant exposure to stress and sound.

The fourth died apparently because of negligence of a section of the zoo staff.

The zoo officials who came in for flak for the deaths had got in touch with the Czech experts to save the joey from meeting with the same fate as the other kangaroos.

The Czech experts had advised that the joey’s health be monitored from a distance because they felt proximity to humans could lead to a potentially fatal condition like myopathy in the animal.

Veterinary officers at the zoo, however, said the young kangaroo was less likely to suffer from ailments like myopathy.

“This kangaroo was born in this country. From the day she was conceived, she has been exposed to a higher level of sound and stress than her parents, which has strengthened her immunity system,” said D.N. Banerjee, the veterinary officer at the zoo.

Kangaroos give birth after a short gestation period of 33 days and have a lifespan of about 15 years.