Joey the orphaned koala saved thanks to humane care

If you don't have one, you probably know of a child who has a stuffed koala. They are so cute and “cute” in nature and of course reproduced so that children can squeeze them at ease.

A real koala is even more adorable then, but if he's injured it's possibly one of those heartbreaking things. Luckily, there are a few hundred people willing to help who are dedicated to restoring the health of small animals.

And that's what happened to Joey, a little koala who went through moments of pain and suffering falling from a tree. Werribee Open Range Zoo recently shared Joey's photos and story.

The koala fractured his arm when he fell from a tree with his mother in a eucalyptus plantation area. Joey, 150 days old and 500 grams "just" injured his arm, but his mother unfortunately could not resist the serious injury and had to be sacrificed by the vets.

Rescued, the small koala was taken to Werribee vets who had no good prospects. “It was really exciting when he was brought to us. He was at the stage where he would start sticking his head out of his mother's purse. Koalas of this size do not have a good survival rate in humane care, ”said Jess Rice, veterinary nurse at Werribee.

Without even considering giving up the little koala, the caregivers devoted themselves to care. After an x-ray revealed that Joey had a fractured arm, a small cast was placed to immobilize and treat the wound. In addition, the koala was monitored 24 hours a day.

Before long, Joey was visibly stronger, heavier, and cleared to be cared for by a wildlife professional. Rice explained that it will still take about a year for the koala to be old enough to be released into the wild.

With its habitat being hard hit by climate change and deforestation, the koala is listed as “vulnerable” on the International Union for Conservation Red List.