KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 — An American veterinarian, Paul Ramos took to Instagram to share a touching video of an orphaned koala snuggling up to a teddy bear after losing its mom in the Australian bushfire.
The 18-second footage showed the koala being held by a woman in a veterinary office receiving the stuffed animal which the marsupial immediately latched on, to seek comfort.
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“This little girl unfortunately just lost her mother. People and nature: truly we are all connected and we can and must do better,” Ramos wrote in the caption accompanying the video.
In another video posted by Ramos at the Mosswood Wildlife Rescue and Rehab Centre to help the wildlife affected by the bushfire, he explained the roles of teddy bears in helping the koalas to recover.
“Being like arboreal or tree-dwelling creatures, they need to hold onto things. So when they're transported or they come out of anaesthetic, they need something to hold onto.
“So, literally, they'll wake up with a teddy bear. So, we have these teddy bear drives. It’s fantastic what the community has done for Mosswood,” he said.
Ramos’ video has been viewed over 20,000 times and gathered over 100 comments where users shared their sympathy towards the koala and other wildlife affected by the bushfire.
The Australian bushfire which started in late 2019 has taken at least 31 people, burned nearly 26 million acres and destroyed more than 2,600 homes.
An estimated one billion animals are feared to have died in the fires, including as many as 25,000 koalas.
