Baby koala hangs on to mom during life-saving surgery

A baby koala offered up some tender love and care to his mom while she went through surgery on Sunday.

An adult koala, nicknamed Lizzy, and her 6-month-old baby, Phantom, were brought to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital for treatment after Lizzy was hit by a car, according to Kate Carey, a spokeswoman for the hospital.

"Lizzy experienced some trauma, while Phantom remained unharmed," Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital vet nurse Jamie-Lynn Hevers told Paste BN Network in an email.

Hevers said that Lizzy was given a life-saving surgery to fix a punctured lung. To keep Phantom from becoming stressed at such a young age, the hospital staff allowed the baby to hang on to his mother while doctors drained her lung, according to Carey.

The hospital is no stranger to koala-related road accidents. Carey says they've treated over 58,000 patients like Lizzie and Phantom and see around 70 koalas each month.

The hospital continues to post updates about LIzzy and Phantom on its Facebook page and asked the community for donations to continue their work.

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