Koala and wombat become best friends after sharing enclosure during coronavirus lockdown

A koala and a wombat have become the best of friends during the coronavirus lockdown when they shared an enclosure.

Elsa the koala and Hope the wombat have spent the majority of the lockdown in each other's company after being raised by keepers at the Australian Reptile Park about an hour north of Sydney.

Wombats are the closest relative species to koalas so the keepers knew that it was not only safe to house the animals together, but that they would likely be a match made in heaven.

Watch the pair interact in the adorable video below: 

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The restrictions placed on many businesses by the New South Wales Government has meant that the Australian Reptile Park has been closed throughout April and May.

However, it finally welcomed its first visitors in months after reopening its doors on Monday.

Keepers at the park noticed that the pair had struck up a friendship when they said hello to each other by nuzzling their noses together.

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Park curator Hayley Shute then concluded that it was a pretty safe bet that the pair would be able to keep each other company during the pandemic.

"Hope is a little ray of sunshine. It's a very special friendship these two have formed and I can't wait to see it continue to blossom," Shute said, per the Daily Mail.

"Elsa and Hope are great ambassadors for Australian wildlife and our wildlife needs all the help it can get.

"Australia has the worst mammal extinction rate on the planet. Our iconic koala is sadly experiencing a large decline in numbers due, in part, to the tragic bush fires we had earlier this year and they're on the trajectory to be extinct in the wild by 2050."

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Hopefully, Elsa and Hope will encourage visitors at the park to learn more about their species and help conserve them for years to come.