Keepers at Healesville Sanctuary have come up with a clever way to get a closer look at a tiny marsupial who has particularly big feet.
Pip the Woylie eagerly hops onto the purpose-built mirrored medical device, called a podoscope, and is rewarded with a piece of banana or pear.
Mammal Keeper Madeleine Jane said it was important to monitor the foot health of the ageing native, also known as a Brush-tailed Bettong [pron: Bett-ong] and sometimes referred to as a Rat Kangaroo.
“Checking underneath the foot of any animal can be a tricky task, but the reflection helps us easily identify any pressure points and make sure everything is OK in a non-invasive way,” Ms Jane said.
“The podoscope is a great hands-off health care approach, and the animal has the choice as to whether they participate.”
Pip’s health care also sees the eight-year-old jumping on to scales to monitor his weight.
The Woylie (Bettongia penicillata) is considered Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. They are a mostly nocturnal species and, although they can look like a large rat, they are more closely related to a Kangaroo.
Visitors can see a variety of Australian species that are more active at night within Healesville Sanctuary’s Nocturnal House.
Zoos Victoria members and Healesville Sanctuary visitors are reminded that all tickets must be pre-booked online at zoo.org.au and all ticketholders 18 years and over are required to provide proof of full vaccination and follow current Victorian Government directions at www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au
