This baby koala who held his injured mom in his koala arms is all of us

It pains us to report when an animal has been injured, but this story is so heartwarming and sweet — we had to share it. It has a happy ending, so don’t stress too much.

BuzzFeed News brought our attention to a mama koala who was hit by a car along the Warrego Highway in Coominya, Australia. She was traveling with her joey when the car struck her, causing head trauma and a collapsed lung. While her joey was uninjured, they were both taken to the Australian Zoo Wildlife Hospital in Queensland where mama koala was operated on. Caregivers named the mama, Lizzy, and her joey, Phantom.

Now here’s where it gets really wonderful. As Lizzy was being cared for, Phantom held on to his mom and wouldn’t let go.

The sight was obviously too special not to document, so someone at the hospital snapped some photos, and we’re so happy they did. The tight grasp Joey has on his mom is almost too much for our hearts to handle.

Although Lizzy had to go through treatment for her collapsed lung, she had her little son right by her side. He apparently climbed on her back and just stayed there.

Apparently, mom is recovering, with a healthy dose of antibiotics. “Lizzy is in recovery and we’re happy to say she is going well,” hospital vet nurse Jamie-Lynn Nevers told the Courier Mail.

A spokesperson for the Australian Zoo Wildlife Hospital told BuzzFeed News that Phantom is still hanging onto his mom. We are so happy that Lizzy is on the road to recovery and that Phantom continues to be right by her side.

The Australian Zoo Wildlife Hospital has treated over 58,000 native wildlife patients. To help them continue their incredibly important life-saving work, visit Wildlife Warriors. Your support will help protect wildlife animals throughout Australia and all over the world.

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