“Iconic” wildlife park bans koala cuddles

One common attraction for visitors to Australia, as well as locals, is to cuddle a koala with many places in the country offering the unique experience. One wildlife park in a leafy area in Queensland has been offering the service, entertaining the likes of Taylor Swift and Vladimir Putin. But now, one small zoo in Brisbane, which calls itself the world’s first koala sanctuary, has announced that it will no longer be offering “koala hold experiences.”

Lone Pine said that this was in response to an increasing in strong feedback from its visitors.

“We love that there is a shift among both local and international guests to experience Australian wildlife up close, but not necessarily personal, just doing what they do best – eating, sleeping and relaxing within their own space,” said General Manager Lyndon Discombe.

Animal rights groups hailed it as they hope that the practice, which they consider cruel, will be phased out all over Australia. They cite studies which show that these encounters can be stressful for the koalas who are typically solitary and nocturnal.

Koalas are among Australia’s national icons and have been crucial for its tourism industry. One study estimates that they bring as much as A$3.2 billion (£1.68 billion) and support as much as 30,000 jobs in the country. But the once thriving marsupial is seeing a decline in numbers as land clearing, bushfires, drought, and diseases being among the threats to their numbers.

Protecting them is therefore crucial, both in the wild and captivity. Every state in Australia has strict environmental protections and many have outlawed “holding” koalas. New South Wales, the most populous state, has banned it since 1997.

But Queensland and a select few places both in South Australia and Western Australia still see the practice continue. For those willing to pay for it, they can take a photo of themselves cuddling a koala from Gold Coast theme park Dreamworld for A$29.95 and in Australia Zoo it costs $124.

However, the government of Queensland has said that there are clear rules for this. The animals cannot be used for photography for more than three days in a row and must have at least a day off. They can only be “on duty” for 30 minutes a day and a total of 180 minutes per week, and female koalas with joeys must not be handled by the public.