What's cuter than a koala? A baby koala, of course. They're also called joeys. And what's even cuter? A tiny joey with a tiny cast on her arm!
At Werribee zoo, through a sad turn of events, a joey was injured. Her right arm was fractured. Her mother was so badly injured that she had to be euthanized.
The young koala miraculously survived despite weighing under 1 pound. She had a tough road ahead, though. Joeys her age don’t fare very well alone in the wild. Of course, she needed help.
Thanks to the zoo's caretakers, she was quickly given medical attention in the form of a tiny cast. Still, she was weak, and her chances were very slim.
Fortunately, she was in good hands. She gained some weight and quickly recovered from the injury. Thanks to vet nurse Jess Rice, she received much-needed round-the-clock care.
She was given a stuffed toy to replicate her mother's touch and supplementary milk for growth. A subpar replacement of a real koala, but it's the best they could do.
More than a year of care remains before she can be released back into the wild. Koalas are 'vulnerable' according to the IUCN, and much thanks to the zoo for taking care of this precious little one.
