BEERWAH, Australia, Sept. 20 (UPI) — A baby koala at a zoo in Australia bonded with a stuffed animal after its mother was killed in a car accident.
Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors shared video of Shayne the 9-month-old koala cuddling with the plush toy designed to help him deal with the trauma.
“Losing his mum after being hit by a car Shayne was forced to fend for himself and was found by rescuers as he was being chased by crows!” A post on the zoo’s Facebook page stated.
“Shayne has no injuries as a result of the accident, instead, he’s dealing with the loss of his mum and the vital life lessons he needs to learn in order to become an independent, wild koala.”
According to a zoo press release, Shayne was taken to a dedicated wildlife carer where he receives around the clock care and attention including comfort and food.
The zoo plans to release Shayne back into the wild once he is of an acceptable age and height and has learned climbing and other social skills from other young koalas.
