Description: The Western Brush-wallaby has powerful hind limbs and long hind feet, which allows it to move quickly in a weaving fashion. It is grey in colour with distinctive white facial stripes and black paws. It has faint light grey bands along its back in a similar fashion to the Numbat. Its tail ranges from 54–97 cm. Male and females are similar in size.

Diet: The Western Brush-wallaby is a herbivore. It eats a variety of plants, grasses and shrubs. It is also able to survive without fresh water for extended periods of time.

In the wild: Very little is known about the Western Brush-wallaby in the wild. We don’t yet know accurately what it eats in the wild, when they breed each year, or how long their gestation is (though their young are born sometime between February and May).

Threats: The Western Brush-wallaby used to be very common in Western Australia but hunting for its pelt by early settlers and habitat destruction has seen their numbers reduced. Now these wallabies are most commonly seen around the edges of Perth – lying on the side of the road after being struck by a car. Several orphaned joeys have come to Perth Zoo after their mothers were killed on roads. Please take extra care when driving near bushland, especially at dusk and dawn.

Saving wildlife together: Each joey born at Perth Zoo helps uncover more knowledge about this Western Australian wallaby. Keepers use endoscopes (a bendable rod with a camera and camera on the end) to sneak a peek at the joeys inside the pouches. This means keepers can gather information on their development and condition with minimal disturbance.