February 10, 2021 11.24 am This story is over 37 months old

Joy as new baby wallaby arrives at Lincolnshire sanctuary

The wallaby’s sister sadly died over New Year
Proud parents Kylie and Boomerang with their new baby wallaby Wallara. | Photo: Ark Wildlife Park & Exotic Animal Sanctuary

A baby wallaby has made its first appearance at an animal sanctuary in Boston to bring joy to its mother, who lost her sister over New Year.

Kylie and Boomerang’s baby wallaby popped its head out of her pouch for the first time last week at Ark Wildlife Park & Exotic Animal Sanctuary.

This is much happier news for Kylie, whose sister Sheila and the baby joey in pouch, sadly died at the sanctuary after suffering fright from fireworks on New Year’s Eve.

Kylie with her baby Joe Wallara, who popped its head out of her pouch for the first time last week. | Photo: Ark Wildlife Park & Exotic Animal Sanctuary

The new arrival has been named Wallara after the Aboriginal word for joyous. The sanctuary said the gender of the baby will not be known until they leave the pouch.

The baby is estimated to be around six months old now as that is when they tend to first stick their head out of the pouch for the first time. It will be a few weeks yet before the baby wallaby ventures out fully to explore.

This means there is now a total of four wallabies and one joey at the sanctuary.

Mother Kylie with her baby wallaby Wallara. | Photo: Ark Wildlife Park & Exotic Animal Sanctuary

Jamie and Michelle Mintram, owners of the Ark Wildlife Park & Exotic Animal Sanctuary, said: “Like a lot of people the founders of the Ark were glad to see the back of 2020 and hoped 2021 would be kinder, but January had started the year of horrifically.

“On New Year’s Day we found one of our female wallabies Shelia had passed away overnight after being startled by fire works and injuring herself.

“It was all the more upsetting when we found out she was also carrying a joey, this was one of the lowest points for the team at the Ark after a year of struggle.

“The new baby wallabies mum is Kylie, Shelia’s sister, although still sad at the loss of Shelia and her baby, it’s heart warming to watch the little guy pop his head out of mum’s pouch and know that at least part of Shelia lives on in her nephew/niece.”