Baby Koala and His Stuffed New Friend

August 10, 2017

For a 9-month-old koala named Shayne, life has not been easy.

In late August, Shayne and his mom were hit by a car in Queensland, Australia. A team of rescuers found his mother dead from the impact of the vehicle, according to an Australia Zoo press release. Shayne, who had been thrown off his mother’s back, was found in a nearby tree. This poor thing must been so scared! My poor heart!

After the accident, rescuers brought the newly orphaned Shayne to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, where he was given a plush koala to help him acclimate to the hospital and cope with losing his mother.

Though he was physically uninjured, Shayne had no one to teach him how to live in the wild.

“He’s dealing with the loss of his mum and the vital life lessons he needs to learn in order to become an independent, wild koala,” Dr. Rosie Booth, Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital director, said in the release. “It’s very fortunate that we had an observant rescuer who found Shayne and brought him into us. ... He wouldn’t have lasted even a day in the wild by himself.”

During Shayne’s most recent checkup on Monday, he had gained weight and was in great health, Australia Zoo spokesperson Elisha Dyck told The Huffington Post.

We hope this little guy make it thought and can be released in nature again.