The holy grail of wildlife caring is to catch a glimpse of one of your grown-up released joeys, or one of their offspring (your grand-joeys) giving birth.
Marsupials start life as tiny embryonic jelly-beans, which travel from their mum’s cloaca up to her pouch. The mum has to feel very safe and secure when she gives birth, so the little pink blob has time to crawl its way up through her belly fur. Very few people are privileged enough to catch a glimpse of this special event.
Today, however, Abi was looking out her window when she caught sight of one of our wallaby mob laying in a strange position. Abi found her binoculars so she could get a close up view without disturbing her. Much to Abi’s excitement a little squirming pink joey-to-be was emerging from her cloaca. Abi watched for some time as it peaked out into the world, then retreated, then peaked out then returned. Unfortunately the mum was disturbed and moved away… but Abi was able to watch on and off from afar as mum wallaby assisted her little jelly-bean to make its difficult journey into the pouch.
Abi’s photos through her binoculars capture just a little of this very special moment of marsupial magic.
