Baby koala – rescued at 6.7 ounces – reunites with mom after her illness, video shows

A wide-eyed koala mom stares into the eyes of a smaller koala.

The mother-son duo had been separated for six months while the mother was sick, and a video captured the moment they reunited at a zoo in Australia.

When mom Elsa became ill in August, Albert was “urgently rescued” and taken into the care of keeper Hayley Shute, the Australian Reptile Park said. He weighed only 6.7 ounces.

“When he first came into my care, he was the smallest joey I had ever raised,” she said in a video released by the Australian Reptile Park on Feb. 12. The park is a “hands-on zoo located in a natural brush setting” about 50 miles from Sydney, according to its Facebook page.

Now, six months later, Albert has grown much bigger and stronger. Elsa has also recovered from her illness and “it’s time to start reintroducing the pair,” Shute said.

In their reunion video, Shute carries Albert over to Elsa who is hanging onto a tree. Shute hoists Albert up to Elsa’s eye level and holds him there. Elsa gazes at the not-so-little baby with intrigue. She brings her face closer to his to get a sniff and a closer look.

According to Shute, Albert’s reintroduction to the group will be ongoing over the next few weeks, but “soon he’ll be ready to rejoin his family full time.”

This story was originally published February 15, 2024 at 6:27 PM with the headline "Baby koala – rescued at 6.7 ounces – reunites with mom after her illness, video shows."