Taronga Zoo, NSW

After almost 30 years of waiting, Taronga Zoo is happy to announce the arrival of three wrinkly, heart-melting echidna puggles. The trio of first-time mothers – Pitpa, Ganyi and Spike – have shown amazing motherly behaviour. In the puggle world, babies hatch within 10 days and then the mother carries the puggle in her pouch for two months or so until their protective spines grow. After this, the baby is placed in a burrow where mama returns every third or sixth day. Mama Spike, however has been so loving she has returned to see and feed her baby every second day.

Taronga has also been celebrating the arrival of its largest litter of meerkats, with six cute pups enlivening the exhibit. December also saw the birth of the first cotton-top tamarin in 10 years and a tiny fennec fox kit, while a rare pygmy hippo calf was born in February.