Toronto Zoo’s First Baby Wombat in Over 30 Years Finally Has an Adorable Name
The Toronto Zoo’s first successfully reared wombat in more than 30 years finally has a name. After more than 16,000 votes, the female southern hairy-nosed wombat joey is officially named Clover.
The zoo announced the name on October 7, 2026, after asking the public to help choose. The other names on the ballot were Nellie, Melba and Matilda.
Clover’s mom, Matilba, likes eating clover in her outdoor habitat, which is how the little wombat got her name. Before the vote, the zoo had been calling her #TZPouchPotato.
The baby is only the second wombat the Toronto Zoo has successfully raised. The first was a female named Nan, who lived from 1994 to 2018 and was actually Clover’s great-grandmother.
How Zoo Staff First Found Out About Clover
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The zoo said it noticed breeding behavior between Matilba and Arthur in January. In early April, staff noticed what the zoo called “fluttering movements” inside Matilba’s pouch. That was the first sign she had a joey.
Newborn wombats only weigh about half a gram and are roughly the size of a jellybean. They’re also blind and have no fur at birth.
Their eyes open when they’re around four months old. By six months, they might start sticking their noses out of the pouch, but it can take another month or two before they come all the way out.
Can Visitors See Clover at the Toronto Zoo now?
Clover no longer lives in her mother’s pouch, though she still sticks her mouth inside to nurse. The zoo said she’s getting braver and spending more time exploring her habitat.
Visitors can look for Clover in the zoo’s Australasia Pavilion, where she lives with her mom. You might catch her wandering around, but the zoo said she’s still very much on her own schedule.
