Rare tiny wallabies Kai and Aru will go on display at Chester Zoo
The duo have arrived from the Czech Republic.
Rare miniature wallabies are set to go on show at Chester Zoo.
The two dusky pademelons – a rare breed of wallaby from Indonesia – will make their public debut in the UK after arriving from Plzen Zoo in the Czech Republic.
Keepers hope they will eventually introduce the marsupials, called Kai and Aru, to a female as part of a European-wide breeding programme for threatened animals.
Curator of mammals at Chester Zoo Tim Rowlands said: “Little is known about these little Indonesian kangaroos. Indeed, many people may not have even heard of a dusky pademelon before.
“However, Chester Zoo is committed to the conservation of threatened species and is always looking to break new ground by working with unusual, unheralded, often unknown animals and so we’re particularly pleased with the arrivals of Kai and Aru.
“We hope they put the fascinating species on the map and bring some needed attention to them.”
The animals, also known as dusky wallabies, are usually found in forests on the island of New Guinea. Kai and Aru are two of only 33 being cared for by zoos in Europe.
They are listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with their population estimated to have declined by 30% in the last 15-20 years.
The demise of the species is largely due to hunting for its meat.
