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Cute alert! Koala born at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

The joey crawled out of its mom’s pouch Tuesday.
Credit: Kyle Lanzer/Cleveland Metroparks
A baby koala has been born at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

CLEVELAND — Welcome to the world!

A koala has been born at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, marking the first time in nearly 10 years that a baby koala -- known as a joey -- has joined the zoo.

The as yet unnamed joey was born to mom Mackenzie and dad Nyoonbi. Joeys stay in their mother’s pouches for about six months, so an exact birth date is not known. Animal keepers first noticed movement in Mackenzie’s pouch in May. Yesterday, the joey officially left the pouch and climbed onto mom’s lap. The little one’s gender is not yet known.

Zoo guests can see the adorable joey and Mackenzie at Gumleaf Hideout in the Australian Adventure area on even numbered calendar dates between 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., beginning this week.

The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is open to guests after a months-long closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. Reservations are no longer needed in advance, but masks are required. CLICK HERE for more information.

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