Orphaned Koala Joey With a Tiny Cast Melts Millions of Hearts

Few things tug at the heart like a hurt baby animal — and few things inspire more hope than seeing it cared for with love. That’s why photos of a 150-day-old orphaned koala cub wearing a miniature cast on her tiny arm have gone viral, capturing hearts around the world.

The little joey was rescued after falling from a tree in a Blue-gum plantation. Sadly, her mother didn’t survive her own severe injuries, leaving the baby — weighing only about 500 grams — to face the world alone. Her odds of survival looked slim.

“She was just at the stage where she’d be starting to peek her head out of mum’s pouch,” explained Jess Rice, a veterinary nurse at Werribee Open Range Zoo in Australia. “Joeys that size don’t often make it in care — it was really touch and go.”

An X-ray revealed the joey had a fractured arm. Vets fitted her with a tiny cast, and the sight of this fragile survivor — patched up and clinging on — instantly touched people everywhere. With round-the-clock care, she soon began to gain weight, grow stronger, and show the resilience that has made koalas symbols of endurance.

The cub will stay with a wildlife carer for more than a year before she’s old enough to return to the wild. But her story carries a sobering reminder: koalas are listed as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List, with populations threatened by deforestation, disease, and climate change.

For now, though, the world is simply cheering for one small survivor — a tiny koala with a cast and an enormous will to live.