Drusillas Park zookeepers delighted with 'baby boom'

Drusillas Park zoo near Alfriston has welcomed a wallaby joey, a baby silvery marmoset, and a newborn kookaburra into the world in the past few weeks, among plenty of other new arrivals.

Head zookeeper Sophie Leadbitter said she is “not sure what has got into the animals” but is delighted for the happy families.

“All our youngsters are making excellent progress and it’s great to see them taking their first steps outside,” she said.

“We are always excited by new arrivals at the zoo.

“They are incredibly popular with the public and our staff and are a real pleasure to see.

A baby cotton-top tamarind at Drusillas

“However, they will also prove invaluable to the breeding programmes they represent, which have been set up to help ensure a species’s future survival.”

Ms Leadbitter said she was glad the babies had arrived after the park reopened on June 26.

She said the boom is a “slice of joy”.

“It would have been such a shame if we had still been closed and everyone had missed seeing the little ones,” she said.

“It’s been great to see the babies interacting with the public from their enclosures and to see the curiosity in their eyes as visitors arrive each day.

“Babies are always special, but after such a tumultuous year, they really are a very welcome slice of joy.”