Koala joey runs over for belly tickles and cuddles

Imagine a little koala running over to you for cuddles, and then rolling onto his back for belly rubs and tickles. Wouldn't you just die!

Now imagine after all that cuteness, it then chills out in your arms as you both lay back on the ground to enjoy the sunshine. That is exactly what happens to "arguably the luckiest zookeeper in the world", Tami Wilson, a zookeeper at Symbio Wildlife Park, located on the Southern outskirts of Sydney on a regular basis.

You see, Tami has developed such a strong bond with little Harry the koala joey, that even at the sight of her he will climb down from the trees within the sanctuary and run over to greet her.

You would never have picked it from how happy Harry is, however the young joey had what can only be described as a rough start to life after his mother passed away from leukaemia when he was just 4 months of age. This left him as an orphan, and the zookeeper's with a rather tough decision to make. At this young age, Harry was yet to receive the vital pap secretion required from his mother to enable him to adequately digest his future staple diet of eucalyptus leaves.

The zoo keepers decided that to ensure his survival, his best chances were to cross surrogate Harry into "the now world famous" Imogen's mother's pouch, and then hand raised Imogen.

Imogen's mother adapted to her new role of being a surrogate mother to Harry instantly, and the two flourished.

Now Harry has moved into the Symbio Koala Sanctuary full time and is enjoying his new found independence, and of course, more cuddles and tickles than ever before from his favourite human 'zookeeper Tami'.


For more information or terms of use, please contact:

Kevin Fallon
Marketing and Creative Services Manager | Symbio Wildlife Park
7-11 Lawrence Hargrave Drive Helensburgh NSW 2508
phone +61 2 4294 1244 | mobile 0431 588 862 | website symbiozoo.com.au | email kevin@symbiozoo.com.au