Should holding koalas be banned? This is what the zoo thinks

Hugging a furry baby koala has been a ritual for Australian celebrities, tourists and locals alike since time immemorial.

For many of them, Queensland’s leafy wildlife parks are where dreams come true.

The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary has hosted everyone from pop superstar Taylor Swift to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But starting this month, Brisbane’s iconic small zoo, which claims to be the world’s first koala sanctuary, has decided to no longer offer “koala hugging experiences.”

Lone Pine said the move was in response to growing visitor feedback.

General manager Lyndon Discombe said: “We love the transformation for local and international guests who can experience Australian wildlife up close, but not necessarily personally, and just do what they do best – on their own Space to eat, sleep and relax.

Animal rights groups say they hope this is a sign that the practice – which they consider “cruel” – will be phased out across the country.

They cite studies that have found that such encounters can be stressful for koalas — especially considering that these creatures are solitary, mostly nocturnal animals that spend much of the day sleeping.

The koala is a beloved national symbol, priceless in terms of biodiversity and a golden goose for tourism, with a 2014 study estimating that koalas are worth A$3.2 billion ($2.14 billion; £1.68 billion) a year. ), supporting up to 30,000 job opportunities.

However, the once-thriving marsupials are in dramatic decline due to ravages from land clearing, bushfires, drought, disease and other threats.

With only 50,000 animals left in the wild and the species officially listed as endangered along much of the East Coast, there are now fears the animals will become extinct in some states within a generation.

Therefore, conservation of koalas, both wild and captive, is an exciting and complex topic in Australia.

All states have strict environmental protections for the species, and many of them have banned the “keeping” of koalas.

For example, New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state, banned the practice in 1997. [be] Directly held by any visitor for any purpose”.

But the practice continues in Queensland and a handful of places in South Australia and Western Australia.

For those willing to spend money, you can snap a photo hugging a koala at Gold Coast theme park Dreamworld for $29.95, or at the internationally renowned Australia Zoo for just $124 .

But the Queensland government says it has clear regulations on this. First of all, koalas cannot be photographed for more than three consecutive days, otherwise they will be asked to take a day off.

They can only be on duty for 30 minutes a day, and a total of 180 minutes a week. Females with cubs should not be handled by the general public.

“As environment minister, I used to joke that our koalas had the best alliance ever,” said Queensland Premier Steven Miles.

Right-wing groups welcomed the decision, but some called for the attractions to eventually be scrapped altogether.

Suzanne Milthorpe of World Animal Protection (WAP) said: “The future of wildlife tourism is seeing wildlife where it belongs.”

The London-based group WAP, which works to end the use of captive wild animals in entertainment venues, said wild koalas avoid interacting with humans but have no choice but to be exposed to unfamiliar visitors, sights and noises at such attractions.

“Tourists are increasingly turning away from outdated, stressful selfies.”

Australia’s International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) also said that “in an ideal world, koalas would never come into contact with humans”, adding that they “would like to see this adopted across the board”.

“As cute as koalas are, they are still wild animals in captivity and are extremely vulnerable to stress,” Oceania director Rebecca Keeble told the BBC.

“Their welfare is vital and as they are an endangered species we need to do everything we can to protect them.”

But hopes that Lone Pine’s move would add momentum to a statewide ban appear to have been dashed.

A government spokesman told the BBC there was no intention to change the law.

However, WAP said it would continue to put pressure on other venues to keep koalas in trees.

“Ultimately, we need the Queensland Government to consign this cruel practice to history.”