Koala and wombat best friends emerge at The Australian Reptile Park after isolation
A video of a koala and wombat who have emerged from isolation as best buddies has gone viral.
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Ela the koala and Hope the wombat have emerged as ‘iso-buddies’ at The Australian Reptile Park.
When the Somersby park posted a video of the pair snuggling last night it rapidly went viral reaching hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.
The young pair became buds during the COVID-19 isolation period when the park closed its doors during April and May.
Keepers would often put them in the same enclosure where their friendship blossomed. They were often seen greeting each other with an Eskimo nose kiss. They are referred to at the park as ‘lockdown BFFS’.
Elsa and Hope both had difficult starts to life and required full time care to ensure their survival. Wombats are the closest relative species to the koala.
“Hope is a little ray of sunshine and we just knew the two of them would enjoy getting to know each other,” Australian Reptile Park curator Hayley Shute said.
“It makes for one cute video that’s for sure! It’s a very special friendship these two have formed and I can’t wait to see it continue to blossom.
“Elsa and Hope are great ambassadors for Australian wildlife and our wildlife needs all the help it can get. Australia has the worst mammal extinction rate on the planet.
“Our iconic koala is sadly experiencing a large decline in numbers due, in part, to the tragic bushfires we had earlier this year and they’re on the trajectory to be extinct in the wild by 2050.”
The Australian Reptile Park has opened its doors this week and visitors have been keen to see the pair of worldwide superstars.