Termite cake, anyone? Frankie the numbat celebrates turning six with his favourite treat!

Abandoned by his mum at just seven months old, each year Frankie’s birthday is a cause for celebration due to the endangered status of his species.

As one of the only numbats in human care on the East Coast of Australia, Frankie is an important ambassador for raising awareness and educating visitors on the endangered status of numbats and their critically low numbers in the wild, largely due to habitat loss and invasive predators such as cats and foxes.

“There aren’t many numbats in human care on the East Coast of Australia and experts[1]  have estimated there are only 800 in the wild on the West Coast, which makes every birthday a special occasion for Frankie,” said Melanie Higgins, keeper at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo.

“We are so proud of how far Frankie has come as he now participates in voluntary health checks and continues to delight and educate guests with his cheeky personality,” Melanie Higgins continued.

With a diet almost exclusively of 20,000 termites a day in the wild, Frankie was chuffed when he was presented with a special termite birthday cake made especially for him.

Affectionately nicknamed Scrat, guests often liken Frankie’s behaviour to that of the iconic fictional character Scrat from the movie Ice Age.

Unlike Scrat, Numbats aren’t related to any living marsupial, with the species closest relative being the Tasmanian Tiger, which is now extinct. Guest often note Frankie’s Tasmanian Tiger like fur markings.

You can find more information about Frankie the Numbat here