Nothing can deter a mother from protecting her young, particularly in the animal kingdom. Consider Mimsy, a devoted koala mother in Stirling, Australia, who went to great lengths to ensure her joey’s safety despite suffering a severe injury.
In April, Koala Rescue received a call from a local resident about an extraordinary sighting.
“A resident had discovered a mother and her joey huddled together on the ground…” Koala Rescue shared on Facebook.
As sweet as it was to see a baby koala nestled into his mom’s fur, the folks at Koala Rescue knew something was wrong. Typically, a mother koala would keep her joey high up in a tree, where they’d have food and shelter from predators. But these two were completely vulnerable on the ground.
A Koala Rescue rescuer rushed to the scene and examined the two koalas. They quickly determined that Mimsy had a broken leg, but her joey, Lottie, seemed to be overall healthy.
They drove the koalas to Adelaide Koala & Wildlife Centre, where X-rays confirmed Mimsy’s recent leg fracture. Luckily, the fracture appeared to be healing well on its own, and she would only need medication to manage the pain.
Even though Mimsy had been suffering from a broken leg for two to three weeks, rendering her incapable of climbing trees, Lottie passed her health check with flying colors. This gave the staff insight into how hard Mimsy worked to care for her baby after being injured.
“Mimsy, in pain and unable to climb, had still managed to carry and protect Lottie and get to areas where they could get food, likely from the ground of very low eucalyptus branches,” Koala Rescue wrote. “Mimsy had done an amazing job as Lottie is a good and healthy weight.”
The staff admired Mimsy’s unwavering determination and reassured her that it was time to rest. They started her on a treatment plan while bottle-feeding Lottie formula, as Mimsy couldn’t nurse due to her medication.
That evening, Mimsy and Lottie curled up in a soft pet bed, finally enjoying a restful and peaceful night after weeks of discomfort.
As Mimsy and Lottie continued to thrive, their friends at Koala Rescue began expanding their habitat. Lottie practiced her climbing skills in a spacious aviary, while Mimsy started scaling branches in their new enclosure. A month after their rescue, the two marsupials were more content than ever.
“Mimsy’s weight has improved remarkably… and she no longer needs pain relief, though she still enjoys the cherry-flavored Panadol,” Koala Rescue shared in a Facebook update. “During her recovery, her baby Lottie has enjoyed cuddles with her mom and also spent time socializing with her little buddy, Theo.”
Two months later, Mimsy and Lottie achieved the milestone their caretakers had eagerly anticipated.
Lottie aced her pre-release examination with exceptional results: “Lottie received the green light for release, and plans will soon be made for both mom and baby to be released together,” Koala Rescue announced on Facebook.
The countdown to Mimsy and Lottie’s release has officially started, and the team at Koala Rescue is buzzing with excitement.
They eagerly await the day when Mimsy will scale her favorite tree once more, with her little one securely in tow. In the meantime, they’ll continue to shower the koalas with affection and celebrate Mimsy for her remarkable dedication as the world’s best mom.