Wallaroo joey now outside the pouch at the Oakland Zoo

OAKLAND, Calif. -- A little resident at the Oakland Zoo is finally old enough to come out and say hello to visitors.

Zoo keepers say the baby wallaroo was born sometime last fall and started out about the size of a kidney bean.

The wallaroo joey is named Maloo, which means thunder.

Zoo officials say wallaroo joeys are born blind and helpless. They start in their mother's cloaca and then move to the pouch. It takes nearly six months before the joeys start peeking outside the pouch.

Maloo has now made it outside his mother's pouch.

"We are very pleased to welcome another joey to our Wild Australia exhibit," said Oakland Zoo Senior Keeper Lovesong Cahill. "Maloo is doing great, but still prefers to stay close to mom. From the train, you can see him hopping around, learning what is edible to graze upon, or resting in the afternoon sun with his fellow wallaroos."

Visitors can how see Maloo hopping around at the Wild Australia exhibit.