Marwell Zoo celebrates first baby potoroo just in time for World Animal Day

We’re delighted to announce the arrival of our first ever potoroo joey! The elusive and tiny southern long-nosed potoroo joey, is probably three months old, but has only just been spotted diving in and out of first-time mum Truffle’s pouch in the last couple of days.

The unusual nocturnal marsupial from south eastern Australia resemble small wallabies and like them have pouches for their babies.

Arun Selby, Primates and Small Mammals Keeper at Marwell, said: “We’re so excited, this is our first ever potoroo baby. We’re unsure of its gender because we haven’t seen it much yet, apart from jumping out to join in at feeds. It has been out of the pouch, running around having its own zoomies.

“It hops very quickly. You see it very fleetingly and then it disappears into a hedge and runs back out. It will dive back into the pouch for the next month or so, but then it should be mostly out and about to see. It’s very exciting news, and I can’t wait to see it grow.

“For us at Marwell, it’s a great opportunity to learn because we haven’t had a baby potoroo here before, so we get to see their parental roles. Mum Truffle and dad Neville have built two lovely little nests out there, which they do hide it in.”

Potoroo joeys start about the size of a jelly bean in the pouch, and Marwell believes that now Truffle has been pregnant, she will almost continuously produce babies for as long as she can.

Arun added: “Even when one is still coming in and out of the pouch, there’s normally another starting to form on the way.”