A six-month-old koala joey remained clung to his mother while she underwent an emergency surgery.

It's very unusual that hospital staff allows a baby to be with the mother at the time of surgery. But this happened at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, where the staff allowed the baby to wrap his little arms around her neck during her operation for a collapsed lung because the baby would not let go of his mother.

The baby, Phantom, and his mother, Lizzy, were hit by a car on a highway west of Brisbane. They were taken to the animal hospital in Beerwah, Queensland, and doctors found that Lizzy had a collapsed lung. Phantom was lucky to have not suffered any surgery.

The Internet is flooded with comments for photos of the koala clinging to his mom. Hospital vet nurse Jamie-Lynn Nevers told The Courier-Mail that Lizzy is doing well now.

The Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital was opened in March 2004 in honor of the late wildlife care pioneer Lyn Irwin, mother of renowned wildlife expert Steve Irwin.

About 70 kolas are usually seen by the hospital every month. The cost for treatment could go up to 5,000 Australian dollars (about US $3,900).

Nearly 100 wildlife emergency calls are made to the hospital, which says that up to 30 different species are also admitted each day.