SCOTLAND'S only western grey kangaroo joey has started to peek out of his parent's pouch – just ahead of Mother's day.

The first ever joey to be born at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo arrived in early December, with his mum named Mia.

Lorna Hughes, team leader at the zoo, said: “This is the first kangaroo birth we’ve had at the Zoo so we are delighted.

“Kangaroos are marsupials, which means their young spend time developing in their mother’s pouch before becoming more independent.

"Our joey has started to peek out of the pouch, which is really exciting.

“It won’t be long before the joey fully emerges and starts bouncing around the enclosure, which is when we will find out if we have a little boy or girl and decide on a name.”

The joey joins other important species from Australia in our care such as the UK’s only koalas, a mob of wallabies and a pair of cassowaries.

The western grey kangaroo is one of the largest and most common of all kangaroos.

Indigenous to Australia their wide distribution and large population mean that the species is not currently thought to be at risk of extinction.

While classed as of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List the species is protected under Australia law and hunting is not permitted within protected areas.