Zaglossus hacketti a welcome addition

The Western Australian Museum Kalgoorlie Boulder has a new fun display to add to its collection.

Zaglossus hacketti is an extinct long-beaked echidna that lived during the Pleistocene era, 10,000 to 2.6 million years ago.

WA Museum Kalgoorlie-Boulder manager Zoe Scott said Zaglossus was a new display that was a welcome addition to the museum.

“The kids will love him and he’s a little bit of fun for everyone to enjoy,” Ms Scott said.

Zaglossus hacketti bones were found in 1914 at Mammoth Cave in the Margaret River area by Ludwig Glauert.

“Zaglossus’ modern cousins are the short-beaked echidna ‘Tachyglossus aculeatus’ and are the only echidna species left in Australia,” she said.