New baby animals welcomed at rural college

Winston and Ralph, two baby skunks, and a wallaby were welcomed at Suffolk Rural

New baby animals, including a wallaby, have been welcomed at an agricultural college.

Suffolk Rural, based in Otley and part of Suffolk New College, said it was "delighted" to see one of its wallabies, Jessie, had given birth.

Senior technician, Andrew Waddingham, said the team witnessed the joey's arrival last month.

Two small skunks have also been born in recent weeks.

"We first noticed a head pop out of Jessie's pouch about three weeks ago," Mr Waddingham said.

"Although with Wallabies, it could be up to six months old as they crawl up into the pouch for nearly half a year.

"Hopefully within a couple of weeks it will hop out of the pouch."

Jessie the wallaby has given birth to a joey, which has been seen poking its head out of her pouch

Two baby skunks, one of which is albino, were also born about nine weeks ago and have been at the college for the past fortnight.

They have been named Winston and Ralph by the college's animal centre manager, Helen Pearson, who used the names of her childhood gerbils.

Andrew Waddingham was hoping to see the new baby wallaby out of its mother's pouch in a few weeks

The new additions were just some of the animals welcomed at the college after it unveiled new facilities earlier this year.

Other animals given a home included meerkats, with the site hoping to introduce capybaras in the near future.

"We currently support over a hundred students who get to work with lots of different animals in some amazing new facilities - so it's a very exciting time for our department," Mr Waddingham added.