Pitter patter - Platypus twins!

Healesville Sanctuary has celebrated another world first breeding success with the arrival of twin Platypus known as puggles, the fourth set of twins to be born at the Sanctuary.

Although born in October, the first boy emerged from mum Binarri’s burrow on 7 February, while his brother took his first swim three days later. The pair are now five months old.

Healesville Sanctuary is one of only two institutions to have recorded breeding success with Platypus. In 1943, the Sanctuary made international headlines hatching the first Platypus ever bred in captivity. It took 55 years to repeat that success with the birth of twin Platypus in 1998, and again in 2000, 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

“Although Platypus are not a threatened species, breeding them in captivity is a rare event,” Mr Glen Holland, Healesville Sanctuary Director said. “We have created history breeding Platypus seven times in the past 75 years of trying. The conservation value of the captive breeding gives us exclusive knowledge if we ever need to fight extinction with an insurance population for the future survival of this unique species.”

Enter the competition to name the Platypus twins for your chance to win a behind the scenes to the Platypus breeding facility.