csw123

Hi, I am going to Sydney for 3 nights later this month and have read somewhere about a 'rescue centre' where you are able to handle koalas as they were orphans and are used to being handled. I know there is a zoo new Sydney but think this was somewhere else a bit further out and smaller as it mentioned being quiet and a taxi ride away.

Can anyone help

Bushranger

http://www.featherdale.com.au/aboutus/ I'd reckon is the one you've probably heard of and you can save yourself quite a few taxi $$$ taking a train and then bus.

Also other options but further away - http://www.wildliferescue.com.au/links.htm

csw123

thanks for your speedy reply, unfortunately i must get some sleep now but will explore the sites more closely after work tomorrow. I think the first one looks the one for us, i will look into the best way to travel there. thanks again

Susan7

Another possibility is the Koala Sanctuary in Pennant Hills (a suburb of Sydney):

http://www.koalaparksanctuary.com.au/myweb2/default.htm

LaurenKahn1

The places where you get your photo taken with a koala in Australia are all over the joint. Featherdale seems to be the one everyone visits in Sydney for that photo op. When I visited the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and the Gold Coast recently, I saw a number of those places. You won't lack for an opportunity to do this favorite tourist activity.

By the way, I petted a bear at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane but I did not do the photo thing. It is expensive and, well, such a cliche that I just passed on it. Besides, when you handle what is a tamed wild animal there is always a risk that it will, well, pee on you.

Bokhara2

"By the way, I petted a bear at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane but I did not do the photo thing. It is expensive and, well, such a cliche that I just passed on it."

Also just BTW, Lauren .... koalas aren't bears - they're marsupials.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koala

LaurenKahn1

I know they are marsupials, but everyone calls them "koala bears".

longhorn55

I don't believe I ever heard an Australian call them koala "bears". The only native bears in Australia, of course, are drop bears.

LaurenKahn1

Some call them "koalas" and some call them "koala bears". Whichever term you use, it is not necessary to be reminded that they are marsupials.

Bushranger

Bears is known to slip off the tongue and you're right Lauren, it's no big deal and I don't think the Koalas will feel too aggrieved.

LaurenKahn1

The koalas or koala bears will probably be asleep. Their habits are less than riveting excitement.

Smeagol

I thought it was illegal to hold Koalas in new south wales and is only permitted in Queensland? (hence why you could hold them at Lone Pine in Brisbane)

LaurenKahn1

I never tried to hold them or visit them in Sydney, but I do understand that that activity is available at Featherdale. I think that place brought a koala to Pope Benedict when he was in Sydney and he was photographed holding it. The koalas they use for this are ones that have been hand raised.

I don't get why this is such a big tourist activity in Australia, but it is probably the one tourist thing almost everyone does--except me. I just thought it was silly, but that's me. You want to hold a koala, hold a koala. Wherever you go in Australia, there seems to be a place where you can do that.

LaurenKahn1

Oh, I just remembered, I did see koalas in Sydney at the Taronga Zoo. Koala holding and photos of the same were available and I saw people doing it.

oliverandharry

No koala holding in New South Wales, but you can pat one and have a photo at Taronga, Featherdale and the zoo in Pennant Hills. At the latter, you can pat a wombat while a keeper holds it. Koala holding is possible in Queensland at Lone Pine in Brisbane and also at the lovely little zoo in Kuranda. Even at Lone Pine they can only be handled for 1/2 hour and then get three days off.

pat_woolford

When I last checked with Koala Foundation in Brisbane it was illegal to hold a koala in the states of New South Wales and Victoria. As far as I know it still is, but you could check with Koala Foundation which is non-profit and devoted to the care of sick and injured koalas.

Whist still legal in state of Queensland, wildlife parks must meet strict requirements to protect the animals from stress caused by handling and not all can or indeed want to.

LaurenKahn1

At the Taronga Zoo, people held koalas and have their photo taken. I presume that it is the same in all the other places in New South Wales. I saw no difference in what was going on there and what went on in 3 different places where I observed the same activity going on in Queensland. In all these places zoo employees supervise the holding and photos.

pat_woolford

Have taken my children when young umpteen times to Taronga Park Zoo and have never observed koala cuddling or holding. But in case things have changed, I just rang Taronga and was told it was reiterated that it is illegal in NSW and this obviously would have to include Featherdale and the Koala Sanctuary at Pennant Hills. The person at Taronga told me a visitor may stand up to 5cm from a koala for a photo, but no holding.

Same applies to Rainforest Habitat in Far North Queensland, even though some wildlife parks in Queensland still continue the practice, Rainforest Habitat doesn't - they say it would fly in the face of their eco-rating. Hartleys Creek nearby say they don't have enough koalas to rotate without giving them a proper spell, so they don't either. Cairns Tropical Zoo and Koala Gardens at Kuranda do, they have enough of the animals to meet requirements. Ditto, with Lone Pine in SE Queensland.

Smeagol

We went to Currumbin near Brisbane and held a Koala. I read up on it before we did it and it is strictly controlled each Koalal is only held for 1/2 hour each day and then has 3 days off. We chose Currumbin as i knew we would not have this chance in Sydney due to the strict laws in NSW.

Bushranger

Seems like issuing of DHLS warnings for cross border travel danger is necessary.