This photo of an orphaned kangaroo hugging his teddy bear will melt your heart

His name is Doodlebug and he's an orphan.

A heartwarming image of a young kangaroo and his teddy bear went viral after he stole the hearts of thousands online.

The photo was uploaded to Twitter by Tim Beshara who says that the eastern grey kangaroo, named Doodlebug, is an orphan.

Tim's mother, Gillian Abbott, is a wildlife caretaker who has taken care of Doodlebug since he was abandoned as a joey. She was the one who took the photo of him hugging his teddy at her home in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales

Beshara told the Daily Mail that the joey was in ill health when Abbott found him but that he has now recovered:

'She has since nursed it back to health and it is now hopping around the forest and coming back for the occasional feeding or cuddle, as the image shows.'

Tim says his mother noticed that the kangaroos responded well to the teddy bears she placed around their enclosure:

'They seem to respond to the toys much in the same way as a toddler. They treat it as a companion.'

Now isn't that a nice story to start off your Friday.