Three of four quokkas recently acquired by a zoo near Tokyo were unveiled to the press Monday ahead of their public debut.
The endangered marsupials, often called "the happiest animal on earth" for their smiling appearance, are the first of their kind to be exhibited outside of Australia.
The quokkas arrived at Saitama Children's Zoo in Higashimatsuyama, Saitama Prefecture, in March from Featherdale Wildlife Park in Sydney, but their debut was put on hold as the zoo temporarily closed the same month due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The zoo has, however, been posting photos and videos of the new residents on social media ever since they arrived.
On Monday, three of the quokkas, one male and two females, were let out of their shed and allowed to graze on the grass in the enclosure outside, under the watchful eye of their keepers.
