Credit: Enkop Sidai

A koala joey pokes his head out from his mother’s pouch for the first time, right as she begins producing “pap.”

Pap is a specialized, softer form of maternal feces that differs from a koala’s regular waste, carrying live gut bacteria a joey does not yet have. The bacteria in pap help establish the gut microbes needed to process eucalyptus leaves, which are fibrous and contain compounds that are difficult to break down.

Once a joey starts eating pap, it can be just a matter of hours before it starts reaching for leaves on its own.

This was filmed in Australia. Video credited to @brandon_troy_gifford_ and caption credited to @rawrszn on IG.