This sweet, nine-month old koala joey at the San Diego Zoo and Aquarium gets his weekly weigh-in and medical checkup with the help of a stuffed likeness. The stuffed animal was used by the staff to minimize the baby's separation anxiety from his mother, who watched closely during the exam. According to staff,
"The joey’s mother, Cambee, stayed nearby during his health check, keeping an attentive eye on her offspring. She quickly nurtured her joey when his exam was complete and resumed their daily routine of perching and mostly sleeping. While Cambee has occasionally allowed the joey to try eucalyptus, he is still nursing as his primary source of nourishment and will continue to nurse until he is around 14 months old."
Via Laughing Squid
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