Orphaned koala thriving with help from zookeepers

The baby koala lost his mother due to cancer in mid-December when he was about 5 ½ months old and still in the pouch. When he is not being fed from a bottle or playing with eucalyptus branches, Omeo sleeps most of the day in a stand-in plush pouch.

San Diego: An orphaned koala, named Omeo, is being cared for around the clock at the San Diego Zoo, despite the zoo being closed to the public due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The koala is eight months old and zoo caretakers say he is thriving. The baby koala lost his mother due to cancer in mid-December when he was about 5 ½ months old and still in the pouch.

"Omeo has come a long way since we first started taking care of him," said Kim Weibel, senior neonatal assisted care specialist, San Diego Zoo.

"In the beginning, he was so compromised and so underdeveloped, we wondered if he would make it. However, he has grown stronger, his endurance has increased and he has nice thick fur. He is starting to sample eucalyptus, so we hope he will be eating it soon and the next big step is meeting other koalas and learning how to socialize and climb—doing all the great things koalas do."

When he is not being fed from a bottle or playing with eucalyptus branches, Omeo sleeps most of the day in a stand-in plush pouch.

(With inputs from AP)