PREVIEW

Hand-Raised Koala Joey Relocated To New Habitat At Australian Zoo. The tiniest koala joey ever hand-raised at an Australian Zoo has bid farewell to his surrogate family. Hayley Shute, Life Sciences Manager at the Australian Reptile Park, along with her own family, raised Albert the koala from birth. Shute, accompanied by her daughters, transitioned Albert to his new home at the park where he was presented with a generous bunch of fresh eucalyptus leaves. Albert's journey began when his biological mother, Elsa, became sick last year. The park’s dedicated team intervened to ensure both mother and joey could thrive, ultimately deciding to hand-raise the joey. At the time of his rescue, Albert weighed just 280 grams, making him the smallest koala joey ever raised by Shute. Known affectionately as the "koala whisperer," she assumed full-time care of Albert, balancing this with her duties as a mother to three children. Once mature, Albert will play a vital role in the park's breeding program aimed at conserving this iconic species. For now, he is learning to be independent and socialise with other koala joeys.