An endangered young male kangaroo reared at the Bermuda, Aquarium Museum & Zoo (BAMZ) is set to move out of his parents house to a bachelor's pad the big city later this month.

Harrington, a Matschie's Tree Kangaroo born in Bermuda in February 2000, is moving to Toronto and spent the last two weeks in quarantine at the zoo in preparation.

Harrington was born at BAMZ to parents Kabuli and Tess as part of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association's Species Survival Plan (SSP) and named by local schoolchildren.

Under the SSP programme, zoos co-operate to breed endangered species to ensure the captive population of selected species are as genetically diverse as possible.

The ultimate goal of the SSPs is to see animals returned to native habitats.

Field research is currently being conducted to determine the conservation status of Matschie's tree kangaroos, a press release from Bermuda Zoologial Society (BZS)said.

The species is primarily threatened by habitat destruction from logging, mining, oil exploration and agriculture as well as hunting for their meat.

Harrington's parents - Kabuli and Tess - will remain at BAMZ in Flatts for the time being but eventually Kabuli will also move on to another zoo for breeding.

When that time comes he will be replaced by another male partner for Tess.

Meanwhile, Huntington's new pad in Toronto will allow him to be part of the SSP programme as well.

BAMZ participates in five SSPs aiming to improve the survivability of Parma Wallabies, Ring-tailed Lemurs, Asian Small Clawed Otters and Golden Lion Tamarinds as well as the Tree Kangaroos.

At present there are 90 SSPs operating in zoos worldwide.

The tree kangaroos originate from Papua, New Guinea.

"There are no accurate estimates of the number that survive in the wild and successful captive breeding of this species has improved to the improved reproductive husbandry protocols," the BZS press release said.