Lone Pine sanctuary in Brisbane bans koala cuddles

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Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary successful Brisbane has ended koala cuddling astatine the tourer attraction, citing “increasingly strong” visitant feedback.

General manager Lyndon Discombe said a “Koala Close-Up” acquisition would beryllium introduced instead, which would springiness visitors much clip successful the koalas’ presence.

“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,” helium said.

Tennis prima Naomi Osaka holding a koala astatine Lone Pine successful 2019.

“We person perfectly seen an summation successful request for acquisition programs and guided experiences, focusing connected the quality to witnesser the earthy behaviours of koalas. Once you spot them up adjacent and successful their fantastic earthy state, we anticipation our guests emotion and respect them adjacent more.”

Lone Pine has agelong been a go-to destination for personage visitors and sports stars, who often marque the pilgrimage to Fig Tree Pocket, successful the city’s south-west, to airs with koalas as portion of their publicity tours.

Holding and cuddling koalas was already amerciable successful astir Australian states and territories, excluding Queensland. Visitors to Australia Zoo connected the Sunshine Coast, for example, are capable to airs with the animals for a $124 fee. It is besides disposable astatine Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary ($59) and Dreamworld ($29.95) connected the Gold Coast.

Comment was sought from each 3 attractions.

Tony Abbott, Barack Obama and a furry person from Lone Pine astatine the Brisbane G20 successful 2014.

In 2016, then-Brisbane lord politician Graham Quirk spoke of a koala-led economical betterment for Brisbane, saying the koala could beryllium for Brisbane what the panda was for the Chinese metropolis of Chengdu.

“Brisbane is the lone spot wherever you tin clasp a koala, and that’s a redeeming diagnostic we have,” helium told this masthead successful 2016.

“In presumption of tourism, it is an vantage and an accidental we ought not miss.”

His successor, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, declined to comment, but the quality was welcomed by wildlife activists.

World Animal Protection Australia caput of campaigns Suzanne Milthorpe said koala cuddling was a stressful acquisition for the marsupials.

“It’s large to spot specified a large tourism venue successful Queensland determination distant from cruel koala cuddles,” she said.

“Lone Pine is responding to feedback from their section and planetary visitors, which underlines that nationalist sentiment is continuing to displacement distant from nonstop interactions with wildlife.”

Milthorpe said Queensland should travel different states’ leads successful making the signifier illegal.

“The aboriginal of wildlife tourism is seeing chaotic animals successful the chaotic wherever they belong,” she said.

Comment was sought from Environment Minister Leanne Linard.

In 2014, Lone Pine famously supplied the koalas that were cuddled by satellite leaders, including Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin, astatine the G20 leaders’ acme held successful Brisbane.