Winter Baby Boom at Taronga

Winter Baby Boom at Taronga

There’s a very exciting mob of joeys at Taronga this school holidays.Keen-eyed visitors should be able to spot a young Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat joey,  Taronga’s first Tree Kangaroo joey born in over 20 years and three little Koala joeys.The wombat joey, named Sydney, is only the second Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat joey to be born at the Zoo in 30 years. This is a breeding success that could also help the critically endangered Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat by helping keepers understand more about these remarkable creatures.At nine months old, Sydney is now out of her mother, Korra’s, pouch and can be seen in the Backyard to Bush children’s environmental adventure exhibit.Keeper, Brett Finlayson said: “Sydney still sleeps very close to her mum, but she’s starting to get more adventurous each day and it looks like she’ll be an energetic little one as she grows up.”Born in September, Tree Kangaroo joey, Nupela, meaning ‘new’ in PNG language tok pisin, has emerged from mother Kwikila’s pouch. It’s the perfect time for guests to see her out of the pouch, exploring the new surroundings in the lush exhibit just below Taronga’s Main Entrance with great viewing from Taronga’s Piazza Cafe.In the wild, Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroos are endangered and there are just under 50 in human care, so this little one is a pretty vital addition, keeper Sam Bennett said.We’ve also had three Koala joeys emerge from last year’s breeding season. The two females Sydney and Milli along with the male Tucker have been enjoying their own exhibit due to their similar ages at the Koala Encounter. They spend their time close to each other sleeping or eating.At the Koala Encounter area, guests can have their photos taken with Koalas and speak with a keeper to learn more about one of Australia’s most iconic species that is under serious threat from habitat destruction and fragmentation.Don’t miss Winter at the Zoo with over 20 free keeper talks and presentations including the Seal Show. [nodepicker==album==11631==image-center====body-normal]