zoo’s-new-wallaby-joey-comes-out-for-first-time

Zoo’s new wallaby joey comes out for first time

Lifestyle

Yeah, Yeah Yeah.

WATCH: Cincinnati Zoo’s new wallaby joey comes out of pouch for first time

It was an exciting day at the Cincinnati Zoo Wednesday as the zoo’s new wallaby joey came out of its mother’s pouch for the first time.The joey’s arrival came as a bit of a surprise.The Cincinnati Zoo announced in mid-March that its wallaby, Ava, who gave birth to her joey, Pocket, last year, had another joey growing in her pouch. Zoo officials said Ava had not bred since Pocket emerged from her pouch last year, so how could she possibly have another joey in her pouch?According to the Cincinnati Zoo, Ava was pregnant with Pocket when she arrived in Cincinnati in early 2020, but throughout all this, she was carrying a fertilized embryo.”Some mammals have the ability to put their pregnancies on pause (it’s called “embryonic diapause”) until the time is right to give birth,” officials with the Cincinnati Zoo wrote in an email to WLWT.Once Pocket made his way out of Ava’s pouch, the other embryo started to develop and made its way into mom’s pouch.During the past month, the wallaby care team at the zoo saw the joey wiggling around in Ava’s pouch and peep its head out, but this week was the first time it came out of Ava’s pouch.Counting Pocket, the Cincinnati Zoo had five wallabies. Now the zoo has six.

CINCINNATI —

It was an exciting day at the Cincinnati Zoo Wednesday as the zoo’s new wallaby joey came out of its mother’s pouch for the first time.

The joey’s arrival came as a bit of a surprise.

The Cincinnati Zoo announced in mid-March that its wallaby, Ava, who gave birth to her joey, Pocket, last year, had another joey growing in her pouch. Zoo officials said Ava had not bred since Pocket emerged from her pouch last year, so how could she possibly have another joey in her pouch?

According to the Cincinnati Zoo, Ava was pregnant with Pocket when she arrived in Cincinnati in early 2020, but throughout all this, she was carrying a fertilized embryo.

“Some mammals have the ability to put their pregnancies on pause (it’s called “embryonic diapause”) until the time is right to give birth,” officials with the Cincinnati Zoo wrote in an email to WLWT.

Once Pocket made his way out of Ava’s pouch, the other embryo started to develop and made its way into mom’s pouch.

During the past month, the wallaby care team at the zoo saw the joey wiggling around in Ava’s pouch and peep its head out, but this week was the first time it came out of Ava’s pouch.

Counting Pocket, the Cincinnati Zoo had five wallabies. Now the zoo has six.