The first wombat chick in Prague Zoo: Little Mersey wins the hearts of visitors

The female wombat was named the Mersey after the river in the Cradle Mountain area of Tasmania, where the greatest number of sightings of common wombats have been recorded. Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Prague Zoo boasts the first baby wombat born in the Czech Republic! The little female, named Mersey, was born last September and only recently left her mother's pouch. Visitors can see this cute new arrival around 2 p.m. in the Darwin's Craterwhich is at the bottom of the zoo.

Mersey's parents are five-year-old Winkleigh and almost four-year-old Cooper, the first breeding pair of common wombats in the Czech Republic. These marsupials, relatives of koalas, are known not only for their cuteness but also for their unique cube-shaped droppings. "The male Cooper didn't have it easy with his mate Winkleigh at first," says the director Zoo Prague Miroslav Bobek. "But they eventually found their way to each other, and the result is the Mersey."

Tasmanian Wombats are smaller, greyer and better able to tolerate colder climates than their continental cousins, which is ideal for Czech conditions. These nocturnal creatures spend most of their lives digging burrows and corridors. The females have their pouch open backwards so that the young are not covered with dirt - which is convenient not only for the digging itself, but also for possible deep treasure hunting expeditions, which children can take part in during the thematic programme at Veselovský Meadow.

Mersey is not only the first wombat chick in the Czech zoo, but also a new the star of Prague Zoo!

(za)