As our hearts break over the terrible tragedy taking place in Australia, a photographer captured the sweetest picture of an orphaned kangaroo comforting himself by hugging a teddy bear.
It is impossible to fathom the magnitude of the loss for these vulnerable animals, and this picture captures the orphaned kangaroos need for comfort and reassurance. Sadly, he is not alone.
While Australia is ravaged by the worst bushfires in history, the best of humanity risk their lives to try to save the precious creatures facing peril. Native species such as kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, possums, wombats, and echidnas have taken an especially hard hit.
New South Wales has been burning since last September. Twenty people and over a billion mammals, birds, and reptiles have died. The smoke is also posing a huge health risk as air quality has been measured at over 11 times hazardous levels, CNN reported.
Visuals of surviving animals have flooded the Internet, showing the heart break of the devastated animals. Koalas have been declared environmentally extinct and kangaroos, who were once so plentiful, will no longer be culled for food and population control.
It will take a massive humanitarian effort and many years to try to restore animal populations. Despite this darkness, there are twinkles of light shining through here and there. Glimpses of survival, heroism, and compassion give us all hope for Australia’s future.
Heartwarming stories are emerging from the rubble and we can find some measure of joy in seeing the adorable survivors. One of the sweetest images is this picture of an orphaned kangaroo that is living at the Northern Rivers Region of New South Wales cuddling his teddy bear.
The kangaroos name is Doodlebug. Tim Beshara an advisor to the Greens party shared his story on his Twitter page:
“He may have fallen out of his mother’s pouch,” Beshara said. “He was a couple of months old when he was passed onto my mother’s wildlife company WIRES. She has since nursed him back to health and he is now hopping around the forest and coming back for the occasional feeding or cuddle.”
Tim’s mom thought the animals might like something to cuddle so she brought them teddy bears. Sweet Doodlebug took a special liking to his bear and the two are inseparable. It is said Doodlebug rarely lets his little bear go.
“They seem to respond to the toys much in the same way as a toddler,” Beshara said. “They treat it as a companion.”
Our love and prayers are with Doodlebug and all the suffering people and animals in Australia. Please share this story with your family and friends.
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