Perthshire wallaby joey seen emerging from its albino mother's pouch after seven months

SWNAwallaby - by Elizabeth Hunter

A wallaby joey has been pictured emerging from its albino mother's pouch after seven months inside.

Jo-Jo, the baby Bennett's wallaby has begun to appear in the pouch of albino mum Mrs Bennett at Auchingarrich Wildlife Park in Perthshire.

Photos snapped of the adorable pair show the joey reaching towards the grass, staring at its mother, and attempting to look at the world around it.

Jo-Jo has normal fur colour unlike his mum's albino white.

Bennett's wallabies, also known as red-necked wallabies, are native to eastern Australia, and common in the island state of Tasmania.

After a gestation period of just 29 days, joeys are born tiny and helpless, weighing less than a gram - and so they remain in their mother's pouch for a further 280 days while they continue to develop.

Joeys remain with their mothers for a further three to nine months to feed, with females reaching maturity at around 14 months, and males around 19 months.

A representative from Auchingarrich Wildlife Park said, "Jo-Jo is probably about eight months old.

"They start to emerge at seven months old - and he's been popping his head out for about a month now."

ENDS