An iconic wildlife park has banned koala cuddles. Will others follow?

For what seems similar clip immemorial, giving a fluffy small koala a cuddle has been an Australian rite of transition for visiting celebrities, tourists and locals alike.

And for galore of them, a wildlife parkland successful a leafy pouch of Queensland has been the spot making dreams travel true.

The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary has entertained everyone from popular elephantine Taylor Swift to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But arsenic of this month, the tiny zoo – a Brisbane icon which bills itself arsenic the world’s archetypal koala sanctuary – has decided it volition nary longer connection “koala clasp experiences”.

Lone Pine said the determination is successful effect to progressively beardown visitant feedback.

“We emotion that determination is simply a displacement among some section and planetary guests to acquisition Australian wildlife up close, but not needfully personal, conscionable doing what they bash champion - eating, sleeping and relaxing wrong their ain space,” said General Manager Lyndon Discombe.

Animal rights groups accidental they anticipation this is simply a motion that the signifier - which they reason is "cruel" - volition beryllium phased retired nation-wide.

They punctuation studies which person recovered that specified encounters accent koalas retired - particularly fixed that the creatures are solitary, mostly nocturnal animals who slumber astir of the day.

Koalas are a overmuch beloved nationalist icon – priceless successful biodiversity terms, but besides a aureate goose for the tourism industry, with 1 survey from 2014 estimating they’re worthy A$3.2bn ($2.14bn; £1.68bn) each twelvemonth and enactment up to 30,000 jobs.

However the once-thriving marsupial is successful melodramatic decline, having been ravaged by onshore clearing, bushfires, drought, illness and different threats.

With arsenic fewer arsenic 50,000 of the animals near successful the chaotic and the taxon officially listed arsenic endangered on overmuch of the eastbound coast, determination are present fears the animals volition beryllium extinct successful immoderate states wrong a generation.

And truthful protecting koalas, some successful the chaotic and successful captivity, is an affectional and analyzable taxable successful Australia.

All states person strict biology protections for the species, and galore of them person already outlawed koala "holding".

For example, New South Wales – Australia’s astir populous authorities - banned it successful 1997. There, the rules authorities that a koala cannot beryllium “placed straight on… oregon [be] straight held by immoderate visitant for immoderate purpose”.

But successful Queensland – and a prime fewer places successful South Australia and Western Australia – the signifier continues.

For those consenting to fork out, they tin drawback a representation cuddling a koala, from Gold Coast taxable parkland Dreamworld for A$29.95 to the internationally renowned Australia Zoo for A$124.

But the Queensland authorities accidental determination are wide rules astir this. For starters, the koalas cannot beryllium utilized for photography for much than 3 days successful a enactment earlier they’re required to person a time off.

They tin lone beryllium connected work for 30 minutes a day, and a full of 180 minutes each week. And females with joeys indispensable not beryllium handled by the public.

“I utilized to joke, arsenic the situation minister, that our koalas person the champion national around,” said Queensland Premier Steven Miles.

Right groups person welcomed the determination - but immoderate person called for specified attractions to beryllium removed altogether eventually.

“The aboriginal of wildlife tourism is seeing chaotic animals successful the chaotic wherever they belong," said Suzanne Milthorpe of the World Animal Protection (WAP).

Wild koalas debar interactions with humans, but astatine these attractions person nary prime but to beryllium exposed to unfamiliar visitors, sights and noises, says WAP – a London-based radical which campaigns to extremity the usage of captive chaotic animals successful amusement venues.

“Tourists are progressively moving distant from outdated, stressful selfie encounters."

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Australia besides says that "in the perfect world, koalas would ne'er person interaction with humans", adding that they would "like to spot this adopted crossed the board".

“As cute arsenic they are, koalas are inactive chaotic animals successful captivity and are highly susceptible to stress,” Oceania manager Rebecca Keeble told the BBC.

“Their payment is paramount and arsenic they are an endangered taxon we request to bash each we tin to support them.”

But the anticipation that Lone Pine's determination would adhd momentum towards a state-wide prohibition appears to person been scuppered.

A authorities spokesperson told the BBC determination is nary volition of changing the law.

However WAP says it volition support piling unit connected different venues to permission the koalas connected their trees.

“Ultimately, we request the Queensland Government to consign this cruel signifier to the past books."