Three endangered wallaby joeys have emerged from their mother's pouches after being born at a Queensland wildlife sanctuary last month.
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The young bridled nailtail wallabies are hoping around and being hand-fed by rangers at the David Fleay Wildlife Park on the Gold Coast.
They are among 1500 of their species left with the population still dwindling from the impacts of habitat destruction and being hunted by feral cats and dogs.
"David Fleay Wildlife Park is the only place in the world where visitors can see bridled nailtail wallabies in a wildlife park setting," senior ranger Miles Pritchett said.
"We know that when people can see the animals we are working hard to conserve and increase their knowledge, it helps them connect with and understand why our ongoing efforts to recover the species are so important.
"We're so excited to welcome the latest mob of joeys to the Fleay family."
The elusive marsupials were once thought to be extinct with no sightings in the wild after 1937 until a chance discovery by a fencing contractor on a property near Dingo in central Queensland in 1973.
The area is now the Taunton National Park and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services has been working with the non-profit Bridled Nailtail Wallaby Recovery Team to conserve and boost the population.
Bridled Nailtail Wallaby Recovery Team chair Alistair Melzer said the new joeys would help promote public education and awareness for the species.
"I look forward to visitors from all over the world visiting the David Fleay Wildlife Park and learning about this endangered species and what efforts are being made to protect them and other species."
Australian Associated Press
