Heartwarming footage of a baby kangaroo hanging on to its keeper has gone viral after being posted on Facebook.
Heartwarming footage of a baby kangaroo hanging on to its keeper and refusing to let go has gone viral after being posted on Facebook.
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The Kangaroo Sanctuary in Alice Springs, Australia, posted footage of a joey named Johannsen clinging to his rescuer, Chris ‘Brolga’ Barnes, as he attempts to leave the sanctuary.
“I’ll come back, I promise,” Brolga told the baby as he tries to free himself from its tight grasp.
It’s easy to understand how Johanssen got so attached — he is one of many babies Brolga rescued and raised after being orphaned by his mother, and now Brolga has taken on that role.
“Brolga is his mum,” a rep for the Kangaroo Sanctuary of Alice Springs told InsideEdition.com.
Brolga founded the sanctuary more than 10 years ago as a home for baby kangaroos like Johanssen who had been orphaned or injured in the outback.
The keeper has cared for Johanssen for the last 7 months, and as a result the roo became dependent on his new parent for love and affection.
"Little Johanssen doesn't want me to go," Brolga wrote about the video. "So I make sure he always gets lots of cuddles."
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Brolga’s heroic rescue efforts have brought him fame and praise, allowing him to become the star of the hit BBC show Kangaroo Dundee, which follows his experiences caring for kangaroos and other animals in the outback.
Thanks to Brolga, Johanssen and plenty of other Australian animals will receive a pampered and loving upbringing before they are released into the wild as independent and healthy kangaroo adults.
If you would like to donate to the Kangaroo Sanctuary of Alice Springs, you can do so here.
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