Baby wombat takes first look at the world

1/6/06
A 27-week-old wombat joey at Perth Zoo is playing his part in efforts to try to save one of Australia's most threatened and iconic species.
The Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat joey had his first out-of-pouch experience today during a health check by Perth Zoo veterinarians.
The veterinarians are monitoring his development and growth patterns to assist recovery efforts for the critically endangered Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat.
Environment Minister Mark McGowan said the information and knowledge gained from the zoo's successful Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat breeding program was an important link in broader efforts to save one of the nation's most endangered mammals.
"Perth Zoo's work with Southern Hairy-nosed Wombats, including the information gathered on growth curves and how joeys develop in the pouch, is providing valuable data for scientists working on a recovery program for the critically endangered Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat," Mr McGowan said.
"The northern cousin is in serious trouble, with fewer than 100 left in the wild in just one location in Queensland - the Epping Forest National Park.
"Perth Zoo has provided the recovery team in Queensland with data on birth intervals, captive husbandry techniques, enclosure design, management of breeding pairs, and growth and development of young wombats."
Although the Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat is difficult to breed in captivity, Perth Zoo has successfully bred six wombats since 1995 (the last birth was in 2002).
The current joey was born in November but today was his first look at the outside world. Wombats spend the first eight to nine months of their life inside their mother's pouch.
Today, zoo veterinarians measured and weighed the joey and confirmed the youngster was a male.
At birth, the joey weighed less than a gram, was the size of a jelly bean and was permanently attached to the teat with no fur and closed eyes and ears.

He is now the size of two fists, is almost fully furred and, with his eyes and ears open, should start venturing out of his mother's pouch over the next few weeks.
The joey is expected to leave the pouch permanently by eight to 10 months of age, begin weaning at about 12 months of age and should be fully independent by the time he is 18 months old.
The father of the joey is Zeus and the mother is Cherub. This is their second joey.
The Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat primarily lives in arid regions of South Australia through into WA across the Nullarbor Plain.
Mr McGowan said the main reasons for the decline in the number of Northern Hairy-nosed Wombats was over-grazing due to competition for food from livestock and rabbits and predation by wild dogs.
The remaining population of Northern Hairy-nosed Wombats in Epping Forest National Park is protected by a predator-proof fence.
Minister's office: 9222 9111