ENDANGERED ORPHAN KOALA JOEYS CLING TO SOFT TOY ‘SURROGATES’ AFTER LOSING THEIR MUMS WITH PIX AND VID By Shuk Yee Tsang Adorable orphaned koala joeys are being comforted with soft toy “surrogates” as they recover in specialist wildlife care. The young endangered koalas are being hand-reared by wildlife rescuer Rachel Connolly in Queensland, Australia, after losing their mothers in the wild. Footage shows the tiny joeys clinging tightly to soft toy koalas and teddies a substitute for the comfort they would normally get from holding onto their mothers. Rachel, who has spent around a decade rescuing injured wildlife and six years caring specifically for koalas, says the toys help mimic the natural behaviour of joeys clinging to their mothers. Over the years she has hand-reared 38 orphaned koala joeys, many of which arrived after car strikes, dog attacks or other injuries affecting their mothers. In the clips, the joeys can be seen hugging their soft toy companions while being weighed, during health check-ups, and even while sitting outside enjoying the sun. Very young joeys require intensive care, including bottle feeds every three hours, specialised milk formula and constant health monitoring. She added that caring for orphaned joeys can be demanding, with some needing up to eight bottle feeds a day. Rachel currently has four young koalas in care, each with their own personality. As they grow stronger, the young koalas begin climbing, exploring their enclosures and gradually learning the skills they will need to survive back in the wild. Rachel said: “Young koalas naturally cling tightly to their mothers during early life, so the toys help provide something for them to hold onto while they are in care. “Many joeys will instinctively hold onto the toys during feeding, weighing or health checks, which can help them settle more quickly. “However, every joey is different. Some become quite attached to their toy, while others are more independent and prefer to climb or explore. “Very young joeys require extremely intensive care and may need feeding roughly every three hours around the clock. “Some are very independent, while others are more curious and interactive. “Seeing those individual personalities develop is one of the most rewarding parts of caring for them. "Rescues are not always straightforward. " Koalas that need help are often high in trees rather than on the ground waiting to be picked up, so safely getting them down can be quite challenging and sometimes takes many hours. "Sometimes the hardest part is simply locating the koala in need of help. "Many rescues are emotional because the animals have often been injured through car strikes, dog attacks or habitat loss. " Helping them receive the care they need makes the effort worthwhile. "Gidget arrived with a broken leg and spent six weeks in a cast. When the cast came off she had almost no muscle tone, so it took time to slowly rebuild her movement and get her knee bending properly again. " Seeing her regain strength and eventually be released back into the wild was incredibly rewarding. "Lola, who was released recently, was probably the most chatty little koala I have cared for. " She arrived weighing just 345 grams after her mum was hit by a car and killed. "Occy was the most emaciated koala I have received. " He was extremely dehydrated and had already required a blood transfusion before arriving. " For a while he was touch and go, but thankfully, he is now doing very well and has formed a strong bond with me, or perhaps the milk. “ People are often very touched when they see the joeys cuddling their toys. "It helps people understand how vulnerable orphaned wildlife can be and raises awareness about the challenges koalas face in the wild. "Koalas are such an iconic part of Australia’s wildlife, and it would be incredibly sad to imagine a future without them. " Protecting habitat and driving carefully in koala areas are two simple ways people can help. END
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