Tinka the parma wallaby graduated from nursery care on February 1, 2012 (see Wallaby Tinka Hops Away). Her introduction to the parma wallaby mob of five adult females has been a resounding success!
Now the mob has taken up residence in an exhibit across from the Zoo’s new 4-D theatre, between Elephant Odyssey and the west end of our popular Skyfari aerial tram. Senior Keeper Elisa Evans says that Tinka is the first wallaby to greet her on the morning check. She is still friendly and super sweet. Although Tinka has grown a lot, you can still pick her out of the crowd, or mob, as a group of marsupials is called. Tinka’s fuzzy coat is grayer in color, and she is still a bit smaller than the rest of the girls.
Please stop by and visit Tinka. She will be just one of the gang, as it should be, sunbathing, feeding, or simply hopping around in the tall grass. We are so proud of her!
Janet Hawes is a lead keeper at the San Diego Zoo.
Oh sweet Tinka! So glad she’s just one of the girls in the sun! What a dear success story.
Thanks Janet for keeping us updated on Tinka. I’ve followed her since she was born and know she is having a great time in with the other girls now. The close-up picture you posted is simply beautiful.
Aaahhh… Tinka has grown up to be a beautiful subadult! Thanks for the update on her and the mob! Just curious if she and #104 still have that special bond?
Dianna-
Thank you for your question about Tinka and her mentor female #104. The koala keepers who care for Tinka no longer see an obvious special bond between the two animals. Female #104 was the liaison into the group, and now all the females are important to Tinka.
Nursery keeper Becky Kier and I arrived at the parma wallaby exhibit in the early a.m. last week to take a photo of Tinka for the blog update. We were delighted when Tinka hopped right over to us. She is still the sweet little wallaby she always was but has filled out and grown up. Her coat is fluffy and soft, and she is in excellent body condition. I felt lucky to capture the beautiful image you see on the blog.
Thanks again for caring about Tinka!
Janet