If you are planning to travel around Australia, chances are you put “to hold or cuddle a koala” on top of your Aussie bucket list. And I get it, I really do. Koalas look oh-so cute, and a picture of holding one of them would definitely do very well on your Instagram.
But what about the koala? Does the koala like it when you hold it? Is it a fun experience for them? And do they even want to be featured on your Instagram page? 😉
Holding a koala is illegal in all Australian states, and with good reason. The only state that still allows koala cuddling is Queensland. So in case you were thinking about getting a koality cuddle, think again.
Here’s why you should NOT hold a koala when you’re in Australia.
Let me tell you a story first…
I’m not going to lie: before coming to Australia in 2016 (I’ve been living here for over four years now) I was also dreaming about cuddling a cute koala. In fact, when I was in Brisbane in August 2016 I paid whooping $42 for a visit to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary to make my dream come true.
“Sanctuary” sounded to me like a place where koala’s would be living the good life. I pictured these furry grey cuties calmly nibbling on a piece of eucalyptus, or peacefully sleeping somewhere up in a tree. Until I arrived at Lone Pine. I was shocked at what I stumbled upon.
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is nothing more than a plain old zoo. Koalas are put on display in small fenced areas accompanied by some eucalyptus branches, while tons of tourists are snapping pictures to their hearts content.
Smile little koala – it’s showtime
When I saw long lines of people cueing up I soon started to realize that taking a photo with a koala is not nearly as fun as it seems. You pay an extra $25 for this activity, and when I saw these poor little animals being handed from person to person like little teddy bears, I felt even guilty for wanting a picture of my own in the first place.
The koalas looked everything but happy. I even saw a koala that clearly didn’t want to be held by yet another person, but was forced to by its “caretaker”. It became very clear to me: to hold or cuddle a koala is no fun for a koala at all.
So how bad is it? The research.
I jumped online and started my search straight away. And as I expected I found many articles explaining why holding a koala is considered animal cruelty.
The University of Melbourne carried out a study at the Koala Conservation Centre. They tested the effect of visitor numbers, visitor noise, and visitor proximity on koalas. The study showed that close and noisy encounters with humans resulted in koalas showing so called ‘increased vigilance’: a common response to stress.
The Koala Clancy foundation says you have to think of koalas like very old people. They don’t like surprises. They don’t like loud noises. They don’t like sudden changes. So they obviously don’t like it when strange, unpredictable humans hold them either.
So in conclusion, holding or cuddling a koala is a very stressful experience for these little guys, and it is not something you should want. Just like elephant riding or tiger-selfies, koala cuddling should soon become a thing of the past.
JANUARY 2020 UPDATE: due to Australia’s extreme bushfires, 1/3 of the koala population has been wiped out. PLEASE HELP US save the koala’s, by making a donation.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article and for caring about our furry friends 🙂
❤ Eef
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