Chelsea Connor
Heartbreaking footage of a koala mourning the death of its female companion has gone viral.
I'm not crying, you are...
The truly tear-jerking video shows the male grieving a female koala as he holds her tightly.
Advert
The video, which was filmed in Adelaide Hills, Australia, has garnered millions of views online.
The animal has been described as almost 'human-like' in its emotional reaction.
The Koala Rescue Service was called to the scene originally to assist a single koala but upon arrival saw the deceased female near a tree, and a 'grieving male' by her side.
Sharing the footage to its Facebook page, the Rescue Service said: "It is always devastating to attend a rescue involving a deceased koala, but it was even more heartbreaking to witness the male koala actually holding and hugging the deceased koala."
However, after examination the male koala was declared as healthy and released back into the wild.
After the video made the rounds online, people rushed to share their thoughts on the tragic situation, with many calling it 'heartbreaking'.
One wrote: "Omg this breaks my heart."
Another added: "I dislike that as humans we think we’re the only species that feels - animals have very complex and intricate minds - we aren’t the only species who can feel a vast array of emotions - or think - anyway not sure why his koala wifey passed but may she rest in eternal peace."
While a third wrote: "So SOOOO sad poor little Koala wish I could give him a big hug."
And someone else commented: "Absolutely heart wrenching."
Koala Rescue said that it's rare to see such a reaction from an animal in terms of grief, as koalas are not known for being the most social of creatures.
The Rescue Service added: "This type of behavior is rarely witnessed by our rescuers, but confirms the empathetic and caring nature of koalas.
"Our rescuer retrieved both koalas and after ensuring that the male koala was in good condition, released him nearby.
"This male koala’s reaction to death, really does represent the truly beautiful nature that koalas are capable of demonstrating."
The grieving koala was easily identified as a male due to his size, as male koala's are much bigger than females, and also have a broader looking face and a more distinctively black nose.
They can also be distinguished by the large scent gland they have on their chest, which also makes their musk identifiable in the case of females versus males.
According to animal behavioural experts, koalas are usually solitary creatures which makes the clip all the more devastating.