The misplaced little koala, named Rider, aged between six and seven months, was discovered holding on to a German shepherd while its mum, Knight, was found in a high tree nearby.

Heartwarming footage of the pair’s reunion shows Rider climbing up a tree trunk towards its mummy as it calls to her.

View photos Sydney animal rescue volunteers captured the moment a koala joey is reunited with its mother after it was strangely found clinging to a dog’s belly. Source: Marley Christian / Facebook More

Sharing the video to Facebook last week, Sydney Friends of The Koala Inc. volunteer Marley Christian called the reunion “a perfect way to end another hectic day”.

“Little Rider was found clinging to the belly of a German shepherd which was swiftly removed and taken into care for a vet check,” she wrote.

“We used the assistance of our awesome tree climber to retrieve mum.”

Friends of the Koala president Roslyn Irwin told The Northern Star volunteers were too often faced with the tragedy of finding dead animals on the road, so coming across Rider was an “unusual” and heartfelt moment for them.

“These are the things that really just gladden our hearts because so much of what we do is so distressing,” Ms Irwin said.

View photos Rider can be seen climbing up a tree trunk and calling out to its mummy after the pair became separated and were rescued. Source: Marley Christian / Facebook More

“Somehow the German shepherd got through the fence and the little joey somehow got under its belly and clung on,” she said.

The joey wouldn’t budge from the dog’s tummy until the canine’s owners were able to safely retrieve it.

She called the furry creature “lucky” as dogs can cause horrific injuries to wildlife.