It is often said that a mother’s love knows no bounds, and the statement is very true. From the moment of her baby’s birth, there is a strong bond between mother and baby that can’t be broken.
Animals also share a very similar bond with their newborn babies. Animal moms (and sometimes dads) protect and nurture their offspring until the baby is old enough to take care of itself and go on to live the life the animal was born to live.
If you need living proof about the indelible bond animals share with their babies, just watch this heartwarming video of a newborn koala meeting its mom face-to-face for the very first time.
The tender moment was captured on video by the staff at the Symbio Wildlife Park in Helensburgh, Australia and shared with the world so we could witness the sweet scene first hand.
The adorable video shows a baby koala, called a joey, snuggled safely into its mom’s pouch. The two gaze at each other and the expressions on their cute faces could not be sweeter. The way mom and joey hold on to each other could not be more precious to see.
When joeys are born they are helpless and about the size of a jelly bean. They make their way unaided into the mother’s pouch. Once inside, they attached themselves to their mother’s milk and there they stay for a few months while their eyes, ears, and fur develop.
After about 5 or 6 months, the tiny koala pops its head out of the pouch and begins to look around and eat pap. Pap is a food from the mother that prepares the baby for a life of eating leaves.
At about 7 months the joey begins to take trips outside the pouch and one day it finds itself too big to fit back inside. Once that happens, the baby will ride on its mother’s back until it is fully grown, between 1 and 2 years of age.
Koalas, the symbol of Australia, have been ravaged by the wildfires there. It is hard to fathom how truly dire their situation is. The seemingly affectionate and gentle creatures will require human intervention for their survival and to help try to repopulate the country.
We’re so lucky to get to witness such a special moment between koala mom and joey. Please share this adorable video with your family and friends.
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