Sydney zoo's first baby koala in more than a year makes public debut

The first koala joey born in more than a year at Sydney's Taronga Zoo has finally emerged from his mother's pouch, zoo officials said on Wednesday.

Baby Humphrey is estimated to be around eight months old, and is mum Willow's fifth joey.

The zoo's Senior Koala Keeper, Laura Jones, said Humphrey is doing well, "already beginning to attempt to eat eucalyptus leaves and is hanging on really tight to mum's back".

Koala joeys typically stay in their mother's pouch for up to six months, before emerging and attaching themselves to their mother's back.

Zoo visitors will be able to see Humphrey in person at Taronga's brand new Koala Encounter facility. For a chance to see him climb back into his mum's pouch, they'll need to hurry: within a few short months, he'll be too big to fit back in.