Wallaby Joey Pokes Head Out Mother's Pouch For The First Time

WASHINGTON, DC — Here's some good news out of Washington, D.C. that has nothing to do with the coronavirus: a newborn wallaby recently poked its head out of its mother's pouch for the first time at the Smithsonian's National Zoo.

Zoo keepers had observed the newborn, known as a joey, kicking and moving in the pouch of its mother, Victoria, for the past several weeks. The joey took its first peeks from the pouch on March 11. It is the first joey for Victoria and dad, Sydney.

Wallabies are born tiny and underdeveloped, according to the National Zoo, and need to crawl back into their mothers' pouches to continue developing after birth. After a couple months, wallabies will poke their heads out and explore life outside the pouch.