Officials: First wallaby born at Salisbury Zoo

There is a surprise down under as officials announce the birth of the first wallaby at the Salisbury Zoo.

The Salisbury Zoo says the baby wallaby, also known as a joey, has an appearance that indicates it was born around the first of November. Officials say in late winter, a keepers noticed changes in one of the female wallabies. They reportedly noticed her pouch getting larger and sometimes thought they could detect movement.

According to Zoo officials, they eventually saw a small head peeking out of the mother's pouch. The animal has made short appearances outside of it's mother's pouch since mid-April. Zoo keepers say the animals spend the first few months developing  in their mother's pouch, only coming out when they have grown enough to fend for themselves.

Officials say once the joey starts spending more time outside of its mother's ouch, they will be able to determine the sex .

The arrival of the wallaby apparently comes as the Zoo is working to complete the final phase of the 'Discover Australia' exhibit.