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Zookeepers capture picture of koala joey in mum's pouch


By Hector MacKenzie

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Peek-a-boo! Picture: RZSS
Peek-a-boo! Picture: RZSS

An adorable six-month old koala joey has been caught on camera for the first time at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Edinburgh Zoo, peeking out of its mother’s pouch.

Keepers at the wildlife conservation charity captured a glimpse of the very tiny joey who was born on June 26 to first-time mum Kalari and dad Tanami.

It will be a while before visitors will be able to spot the youngster, who will take a few months to grow big enough to move from the pouch onto Kalari’s back.

Edinburgh Zoo is home to the UK's only Queensland koalas.

The joey will soon begin being carried around on Kalari’s back until it becomes independent at around 12-months old.

The joey will be weighed, sexed and named in the coming months.

Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are native to eastern Australia and are currently classified as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. The main threats facing koala populations are habitat loss, wildfires and climate change.


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