Prague Zoo’s Wombat Joey Has Left Its Pouch
It’s out! Prague Zoo’s baby wombat is setting off on short walks. But it still likes to return to the safety of its mother’s pouch, staying close to her side during its forays. On Saturday, 18 April, actor Ondřej Sokol, a long-time supporter of Prague Zoo’s wombats, will introduce the public to the second baby wombat to be born in the Czech Republic.
The breeding pair’s second offspring was born at Prague Zoo last June, after a gestation period of about twenty days. Photo: Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
Furry and exploring the world with gusto – that’s the little joey that can be seen by visitors to Prague Zoo’s Darwin Crater exhibition. David Vala, the wombat keeper at Prague Zoo, said: “It was on 2 October last year that we began to observe the first signs of movement in the pouch. That was when we could say that the mating in mid-May had been successful. With mounting impatience, we waited for the joey to poke its face out, which came after about six months. It wasn’t until 2 December 2025 that we first saw our new addition; what’s more, it was during the zoo’s Meet the Wombats programme.”
The first time it peeps out is an important milestone. Like other marsupials, wombats are born in the embryonic stage – the size of a pea and weighing about one gram. This is why they usually come into the world unnoticed. As Vala explained: “As the joey grew in the pouch, the grumpier its mother, Winkleigh, became. This was also evident in her communication with the male, Cooper. He began to avoid her and moved to the outdoor burrow. He started to come out to feed only in the later hours, so we decided to separate him into the off-show facilities.”
Prague Zoo is the only Czech zoo to breed these unique marsupials. Photo: Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
These popular marsupials are much loved due to their cuteness, but also because of their unique cube-shaped droppings. Prague Zoo breeds the Tasmanian subspecies of the common wombat, which has thicker fur. The best time to see them is during feeding time at 2 p.m.
At the end of March, Mersey, a female who was the first wombat to be bred in the Czech Republic, will set off for ZooParc de Beauval in France. This was recommended by the European coordinator for wombat breeding.
The patron of Prague Zoo’s wombat breeding programme, actor Ondřej Sokol, will introduce the new joey to the public on Saturday, 18 April. Photo: Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
ZOOPRAHA.CZ
Contacts
- The Prague zoological garden
U Trojskeho zamku 120/3
171 00 Praha 7
Phone.: (+420) 296 112 230 (public relations department)
e-mail: zoopraha@zoopraha.cz
Others
