Social media makes us miserable. Or at least, that is the story we keep telling ourselves. Yet here we are, glued to our screens, watching something utterly specific and weird. An animal. Chewing. Very loudly.
There is something almost hypnotic about it. The close-up of a snout. The violent crunch of a carrot. It shouldn’t work, but it does. Maybe because it’s harmless. Maybe because we are lonely. 🐿️
This week, zoos across the US are weaponizing that weirdness for good. The target: tree kangaroos.
Ahead of World Tree Kangaroo Day (May 21), AZA SAFE has launched the 2026 International Tree Kangaroo Crunch-a-Than. The premise is simple, borderline silly, and oddly effective. Post a video of a tree kangaroo eating. Something loud. Something crunchy. Win likes.
Win views. Maybe win the Judges’ Choice.
The rules are strict on the snack game, however. You can’t just serve them stale hay. Organizers recommend bell peppers, celery, snap peas. Even romaine hearts. Cucumbers and zucchini are technically allowed, but the organizers note—somewhat guiltily—that the crunch factor suffers. A sad wet snap doesn’t cut it. You need the crunch.
“In partnership with the AZA Tree kangaroo SAFE program, we’re… participating… to help shine a spotlight on this species.”
So says Roger Williams Park Zoo, showcasing their three Matschie’s tree kangaroOs. These guys are distinct. Pink-nosed. Brown and white coats. Native to the cloud forests of New Guinea.
They are rare, even within a rare family.
Tree kangaroos belong to the Dendrolagus genus. Fourteen species total. They are the only kangaroos that spend their lives up high. Arboreal marsupials with long arms and padded feet made for gripping branches, not boxing matches.
But they are disappearing.
The Golden-mantled tree kangaroo, for instance, is teetering. Found only in a tiny sliver of New Guinea rainforest, it ranks among the most endangered mammals on the planet. Not just local trouble. Global trouble.
So we watch videos of them munching.
Why does this help? Perhaps it doesn’t. Or perhaps it matters more than we admit. Attention is a currency these days. And if the currency is bought with dopamine hits from ASMR chewing noises, we aren’t complaining.
The winners are announced May 17. Australian time, naturally.
Until then, the crunching continues.
