The End of Koala Cuddles at Lone Pine

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It's been a tourist favourite for years but now Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is ending the opportunity for visitors to cuddle a koala at its wildlife sanctuary in Brisbane's West.



The sanctuary said the shift to call time on offering the chance to hold a koala aims to address increasing public demand for "more immersive and educational experiences." The Koala Sanctuary is a Queensland tourism institution. It has been a go-to tourist experience for many of the world's most famous including sporting stars, entertainers and politicians holding the koalas. Taylor Swift, Roger Federer and even The Pope and Vladamir Putin have cuddled a koala.


(Photo: Gillian Ching)

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is the world's first and largest koala sanctuary, home to over 100 koalas and 75 species of other Australian native animals including kangaroos, birds and reptiles. The sanctuary opened in 1927 by Queenslander, Claude Reid with just two koalas, Jack and Jill. The timing couldn't be better as, sadly wild koalas were being culled for the fur trade. Claude quickly recognised that action was needed to help protect one of Australia's most iconic and beautiful natural species. And so began the story of Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.

In the absence of the koala encounters, Lone Pine offers other animal experiences including:

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is located at 708 Jesmond Road, Fig Tree Pocket, Brisbane, QLD. Fig Tree Pocket is a riverside suburb and is 15 kilometres from the Brisbane Central Business District.

The sanctuary is open:
9:00am – 5:00pm
Monday – Sunday
(including public holidays)
ANZAC Day 1:30pm – 5:00pm
Christmas Day 9:00am – 3:00pm

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