Baby koalas have a strong affection for hugging, and like humans, they rely heavily on their mothers from birth.
Contrary to popular belief, koalas are not part of the bear family but are marsupials, just like kangaroos. Marsupials give birth to underdeveloped babies, which is why baby koalas, also known as “joeys,” stay with their mothers for up to 6 months until they are fully developed.
These well-known arboreal creatures and iconic Australian animals are simply adorable balls of fur.
But what if the mother koala is absent? It is unsafe for baby koalas to live independently in the wild, where they are vulnerable to predators. Unlike kangaroos, the pouch of a mother koala faces downward, so there are unfortunate instances when they unintentionally drop their babies, resulting in the separation of the baby and the mother.
Thankfully, rescue teams offer these joeys a sanctuary where they can grow up safe from predators. Although most koalas rely on the love of their caring mothers, the baby in this video found an unexpected companion.
In a 2019 YouTube video uploaded by a channel called “Henry,” a baby koala was discovered and thought the dog was its mother.
An adorable friendship was formed.
During Tony’s routine potty time, a baby koala hopped onto his back and clung on tightly. It appears that the little joey had mistaken Tony for its mother. As it turned out, the baby marsupial had been living nearby their house, but they have not seen a mother koala around it since. In the video description, the uploader wrote, “One morning, while I was letting my dog Tony out to do his business, something unexpected happened… The Koala lives in my backyard. It’s about 4 months old. It recently started living independently but is still not accustomed to being away from its mother’s pouch or back!”
Despite being two different animals, Tony and the baby koala appeared to have a good bond, and it didn’t seem like Tony was in any pain as the joey hugged onto his back, even though koalas are known to have sharp claws.
Animal instinct and aggression were not present in this video of two cute animals. The new “mother” dog was very gentle with the baby koala and they wandered around the area together. At times, Tony the dog would even look at Henry, seemingly asking his human, “Am I doing this correctly?”
Henry also mentioned, “My dog Tony is very sociable and patient. I am certain he will not harm the baby Koala and the baby will eventually hop off his back on its own! I recorded the video because it is truly amusing and rare. I am sure the adorableness of both animals will bring a lot of enjoyment and happiness to many people!”
We fully concur that these lovable animals brought joy to many. Actually, the video has gained over 3 million views ever since it was posted, which clearly indicates that individuals still appreciate watching heartwarming videos like this.
Kindly SHARE this with your loved ones.
Watch the video below.
