Rare Baby Wallaby Pokes Out Of Mama's Pouch At Happy Hollow Zoo

SAN JOSE, CA -- Before one can ask baby "wallawhat," the rare member of the kangaroo family that grows as an adult to be about the size of a cat may be coming out of its mama's pouch in the coming weeks to explore its territory at the Happy Hollow Park & Zoo in San Jose.

The baby parma wallaby was born four months ago and is expected to begin poking its head out of its mother's pouch where it gets milk and warmth, Happy Hollow spokeswoman Charlotte shared with Patch on Thursday.

"We don't want people to be caught off guard," Orr said. Already she's had visitors inquire about the head poking out of the pouch.

The baby is expected to explore full time in about two months.

Zoo officials have not named the mammal yet and that may even involve a contest from the public. Baby wallabies are traditionally called "joey" until they receive their real names. The new baby will probably get his or hers next year, Orr added. The gender of "joey" is unknown at this time -- until the baby gets an exam in the spring.

"Joey" was smaller than a jellybean when it was born in December. Gestation takes 35 days. The blind baby crawls from the birth canal to its mother's pouch for safe keeping. They emerge as full-grown adults, weighing between seven and 10 pounds -- about the size of a cat, which with dogs can even be predators. The adults stand at least 18 inches tall - a tenth the size of the largest macropod, the red kangaroo.

"It will be another month or so before we see the little one hopping around on their own, but in the meantime we are seeing more of a very cute little head," Happy Hollow Zoo Manager Kevin Hertell said.

Happy Hollow has become experienced in the growth and care of parma wallabies. This baby is the 26th one born at the San Jose zoo since 1994. The zoo participates in a cooperative breeding program to keep the world's macropus population healthy.

"Our baby wallabies have helped establish other populations at zoos around the world," Hertell said of its conservation efforts. The San Jose zoo donates a quarter of every $14.25 ticket sold to those efforts.

Wallabies are herbivores. They graze on grasses, herbs, leaves and the bark of trees and shrubs. At the zoo, they eat grass, fruits, vegetables, grain and hay.

After their initial description by Europeans in the 1840s, no wild specimens were seen for many years, leading the species to be declared extinct in 1957. Ten years later, a viable population of Parma wallabies was found on Kawau Island, near Auckland in New Zealand, where they had been introduced as a curiosity by the island’s eccentric owner. Shortly following this discovery, further expeditions in Australia identified small but viable populations in the species’ original range.

They're now considered "near threatened" and commonly live for a decade in the wild and up to 15 years in captivity.

Happy Hollow Park and Zoo is located at 748 Story Road in San Jose. More information can be found here.

This Saturday is Jaguar Day. A visitor may enjoy hands-on activities and lots of opportunities to learn about and support wild jaguar conservation. Special guest speakers include conservationist Anthony Giordano from the Chaco Jaguar Project and keeper talks in front of the jaguar exhibit.