THE UK's only dusky pademelons, also known as miniature kangaroos, are ready to hop out into Chester Zoo.

Rare miniature male wallabies Kai and Aru will soon make their debut at the zoo - the first time the unusual Indonesian animals have ever been seen at Chester.

Kai and Aru arrived from Plzen Zoo in the Czech Republic and mammal keepers hope to eventually introduce the duo to a female as part of a breeding programme for threatened animals.

Dusky pademelons are also known as dusky wallabies and are found in forests on the island of New Guinea.

They are listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as their population is estimated to have declined by 30% in the last 15-20 years.

This decline is largely due to hunting for its meat.

Tim Rowlands, Curator of Mammals at Chester Zoo, said: “Little is known about these little Indonesian kangaroos. Indeed, many people may not have even heard of a dusky pademelon before.

“However, Chester Zoo is committed to the conservation of threatened species and is always looking to break new ground by working with unusual, unheralded, often unknown animals and so we’re particularly pleased with the arrivals of Kai and Aru.

"We hope they put the fascinating species on the map and bring some needed attention to them.”

Chester’s dusky pademelons are two of only 33 cared for by zoos in Europe.