Wallaby Joey 1

A tammar wallaby joey peeks out of its mother’s pouch at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo on May 30, 2008. Tammar wallabies are marsupials—like kangaroos—and after birth, offspring climb into their mothers’ pouch and where they nurse and continue developing over several months. Keepers first noticed the joey’s head emerging from the pouch in March. They estimate it is now seven months old. Not wanting to disturb the delicate bond between the mother and baby, keepers have yet to separate them for an exam to determine its sex and weight.

Photo credit: Mehgan Murphy/Smithsonian’s National Zoo

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Wallaby Joey 2

A tammar wallaby joey stays close to its mother as it explores its enclosure at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo on May 30, 2008. Tammar wallabies are marsupials—like kangaroos—and after birth, offspring climb into their mothers’ pouch where they nurse and continue developing over several months. The National Zoo has six wallabies—two males, three females, and the joey whose sex is still unknown. Not wanting to disturb the delicate bond between the mother and baby, keepers have yet to separate them for an exam to determine the sex and weight.

Photo credit: Mehgan Murphy/Smithsonian’s National Zoo

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