Lone
Pine Koala Sanctuary
In the Fig Tree Pocket suburb of Brisbane,
Australia, the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary can be visited, after being
founded in 1927, and is now the oldest and biggest koala sanctuary
in the world. Its name comes from the single hoop pine that had been
planted by the Clarkson family, who had been the initial owners of
the land. It started with two koalas named Jack and Jill, it would
become world famous by the second World War, when many Americans,
including Douglas MacArthur's wife, would come here to visit the
native Australian animals that have endeared themselves to every
society in the world, much like the beautiful panda bears of China.
Other wildlife that can be seen in the park include Tasmanian
Devils, wombats, kangaroos, echidnas, numerous types of reptiles,
and a platypus that came here from Melbourne in 2010. It is one of
the especially few in the world that allows visitors to hold a koala
for a fee, with very strict regulations assuring that the koalas are
only held for 30 minutes a day. Visitors also have a wonderful
opportunity to feed and pet the free-roaming kangaroos that live in
a five acre open reserve that houses about 130 of the unusual
animals; some have joeys inside their pouches. There are many
colorful and beautiful Australian cockatoos and parrots, along with
other Australian birds like emus, kookaburras and cassowarys. Free
flying Rainbow lorikeets fly to the sanctuary for the specially
prepared nectar meals that are provided at the sanctuary, where
visitors have an excellent chance to feed these free flying birds
two times each day. The sanctuary puts on a birds of prey show twice
a day, with numerous types of raptors that are encouraged to showoff
their speed, agility and outstanding eyesight. The Taz devils are
fed in the afternoons, with the koalas being fed in the midmorning
and mid-afternoon, scurrying from branch to branch to reach their
feed of fresh gum leaves. The sanctuary also has a small farm with
sheep dog shows that the entire family can enjoy.
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