Perth Zoo gives endangered numbat joeys health check

Numbat joeys have started emerging from their burrows to soak up the spring sunshine at Perth Zoo, in another step towards bringing the endangered marsupials back from the brink of extinction.

The latest group of inquisitive baby numbats, born in February as part of the zoo’s breeding program, were recently given a health check.

After being measured and weighed, each joey’s unique stripe patterns was also recorded to help carers be able to tell them apart in future.

Born to numbat mother Azari, the joeys were the size of tiny jellybeans at birth.

They spent several months maturing while attached to her teat.

At the end of winter, numbat mothers deposit their young in an underground burrow and continue to feed them at night time.

With the arrival of warmer weather, the joeys have begun emerging from their burrow to explore their surroundings.

Importantly, every numbat born is an important milestone in efforts to conserve the endangered species, which is also WA’s mammal emblem.

It is estimated that fewer than 2000 numbats still remain in isolated pockets of bush in the wild.

Staff from Perth Zoo work with other scientists and conservation groups to release zoo-born animals into wild habitat in WA and around Australia.

Perth Zoo is the only zoo in the world that breeds numbats for release.

Since the first release of Perth Zoo-bred numbats into the wild in 1993, more than 300 have been set free in safe habitats.