Two adorable Parma Wallaby joeys join Aussie Ark’s family
Operations Manager Dean Reid steps into the role of ‘mum’
The six- and eight-month-old joeys have been lovingly named Popette (female) and Ping (male)
Conservation organisation Aussie Ark is delighted to introduce to the nation the newest (and possibly cutest) additions to the Aussie Ark family; two orphaned Parma Wallaby joeys, Popette and Ping.
Aussie Ark acquired the two joeys as part of the closing down of the Yengo Wildlife Reserve in the Blue Mountains, run for over 50 years by the legendary philanthropist and conservationist Peter Piggott. The Department of Primary Industries oversees the translocation of Mr Pigott’s Parma Wallabies, and granted Aussie Ark the license to receive any joeys which require hand-raising…and that’s Popette and Ping!
Popette is a little female, just six months old, weighing around 400 grams. Ping is a male, approximately eight months old, and double the size of Popette. In the wild, both joeys would still depend on their mothers for survival. Now Operations Manager Dean Reid is their surrogate ‘mum’ and needs to bottle-feed them a specialist macropod milk formula four times a day…including in the middle of the night!
“Popette is such a sweet and trusting little thing, I’m already in love with her!” Mr Reid said. “Meanwhile, Ping is a lot braver than Popette and thinks he’s all grown up. He’s not! But he’s got a tough little attitude and is equally adorable.”
Popette and Ping will be fully weaned around one year old, after which time they’ll join Aussie Ark’s breeding and rewilding program. This insurance population helps safeguard the species from extinction and includes 15 adult Parma Wallabies already transferred from Yengo to the Barrington Tops Wildlife Sanctuary last year.
If you’d like to help Popette and Ping on their journey into adulthood, and Aussie Ark with its vital work saving the endangered Parma Wallaby, please donate now at aussieark.org.au.
