A rare miniature wallaby native to Indonesia has been born at Chester Zoo, the first birth of the species for the centre.
The dusky pademelon joey has begun to emerge from the pouch of one-year-old mum Styx after being born earlier in the spring.
Infants of the species are born 30 days after mating, and then continue to grow inside their mother’s pouches until they fully emerge at around seven months old.
“It won’t be too long until it’s ready to fully emerge and start hopping around on its own two feet. That’s when we’ll discover whether it’s a boy or a girl and choose its name.”
The species is listed as vulnerable to extinction. Its population is estimated to have declined by 30% in the last 15 to 20 years.
