Koala mum cuddles up with Nellie

FOR a first-time koala mum, Nellie is “bearing” it well.

The eight-year-old resident of Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome welcomed joey Lulu into the world eight months ago and will celebrate her first Mother’s Day showing off her little lady.

Wildlife department assistant team leader Kara Stuart said Lulu was the first koala joey born in captivity at their facility.

“It was (Nellie’s) first little baby,” she said.

“She’s doing really well as a mum.” Ms Stuart said Lulu’s father, Ollie, was based at their Rainforestation attraction.

Koala joeys will spend their first year attached to mum before becoming more independent – often at their mother’s insistence – she said.

“But they’re super attached for that first year,” she said.

Mum and daughter will spend Mother’s Day weekend getting up close and personal with visitors to Zoom as part of a special animal encounter.