PREVIEW

A hand-raised koala joey has been reunited with its mother.

Albert, the smallest koala joey ever hand-raised at the Australian Reptile Park, has been reunited with his mum, Elsa.

Zookeepers rescued both koalas in September after Elsa became ill, making her unable to care for her joey.

During this time, Albert only weighed 280 grams, but thankfully now weighs almost 3 kilograms and has transitioned from bottle-feeding to happily munching on eucalyptus leaves.

Hayley Shute, who cared for Albert, arranged the reunion, with Elsa immediately recognising her baby.

Albert will now join other joeys in the Koala Joey Preschool Yard before being gradually introduced to his koala family over the next few weeks.

"Seeing Elsa and Albert together made my heart sing," said Hayley Shute, life sciences manager at the Australian Reptile Park.

Shute added, “Both Elsa and Albert have been such a big part of my and my family’s life and has spread so much joy to everyone all over the world. It was imperative for me to do whatever I had to do to save her and her joey.”

Hayley also raised Albert’s mother in 2019. Their reunion shows the importance of koala conservation efforts as koalas are currently endangered in Eastern Australia.