Marwell Zoo near Winchester welcomes its first potoroo joey

A zoo has said it is “so excited” to have spotted a potoroo joey in its enclosure for the first time.

Marwell Zoo, near Winchester in Hampshire, said the tiny southern long-nosed potoroo joey was probably three months old, but has only just been seen diving in and out of first-time mum Truffle’s pouch.

The nocturnal marsupials are native to south-eastern Australia and resemble small wallabies.

Arun Selby, primates and small mammals keeper at Marwell, said: “It’s a great opportunity to learn because we haven’t had a baby potoroo here before.”

He added: “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.”

He said you only get to see it “fleetingly” but the zoo was “so excited” and “can’t wait to see it grow”.

Protective mum Truffle and dad Neville have built two nests in the enclosure, which they also hide the baby in.

Potoroo joeys start out about the size of a jelly bean in their mother’s pouch and Marwell believes that now Truffle has been pregnant, she will almost continuously produce babies for as long as she is able to.