Joey is tucked into a rucksack and put on a radiator at bedtime

Elaine Hedges has adopted a five-month-old wallaby after its real mother died a few weeks ago.

Joey has to be hand-fed every three hours and carried around in a for more than a year in a specially-made pouch.

Mrs Hedges, who helps run the eagle and bird of prey centre at Pennywell Farm in Buckfastleigh, said he is gaining weight and thriving.

"The broken nights and the feeding every three hours were very tiring", she said.

"But now he's putting on weight, it's fantastic and all worthwhile. He's even getting mischievous and calling me through the night to grab my attention."

Embarrassing moments

Joey can now go up to five and a half hours between feeds, so at bedtime he now gets popped into a rucksack and hung on a radiator to keep him warm.

During the day the little wallaby, who was the size of a thumbnail when he was born, goes everywhere with Mrs Hedges.

Mrs Hedges keeps the specially-made pouch hidden under her clothes when she is training her birds of prey, in case he is mistaken for food.

The wallaby has also caused his new mum some embarrassing moments in the supermarket, where people have seen the "bump" and assumed Mrs Hedges was pregnant.

Pennywell's Chris Murray said the wallaby is unlikely to have survived without Mrs Hedges.

"They are very difficult to rear - needing constant care, to be kept warm, fed every three hours night and day with special food," he said.