Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is an

koala The koala or, inaccurately, koala bear (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the w ...

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a sa ...

in the

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

suburb of Fig Tree Pocket in

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

, Australia. Founded in 1927, it is the oldest and largest koala sanctuary of its kind in the world.

History

The name originates from a lone

hoop pine ''Araucaria cunninghamii'' is a species of '' Araucaria'' known as hoop pine. Other less commonly used names include colonial pine, Queensland pine, Dorrigo pine, Moreton Bay pine and Richmond River pine. The scientific name honours the botanist ...

that was planted by the Clarkson family, the first owners of the site. The sanctuary opened in 1927 to provide a safe refuge to sick, injured, and orphaned koalas, at a time when they were being killed for their fur. The founder of the sanctuary, Claude Reid, recognised the need to protect this iconic species and initiated the protection of their habitat. The sanctuary began with two koalas called Jack and Jill. Lone Pine became known internationally during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

when Americans, including Douglas MacArthur's wife, visited the park to view the native Australian animals.

Wildlife

Visitors are allowed to hold koalas for a fee. Strict regulations ensure that each koala is not held for more than thirty minutes every day. Fees paid for souvenir photos help fund new enclosures, research projects and eucalyptus plantations. Visitors can feed and pet the free-roaming kangaroos in the kangaroo reserve, where more than 130 of the animals freely reside.

Rainbow lorikeet The rainbow lorikeet (''Trichoglossus moluccanus'') is a species of parrot found in Australia. It is common along the eastern seaboard, from northern Queensland to South Australia. Its habitat is rainforest, coastal bush and woodland areas. S ...

s fly to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary for the specially prepared nectar meals at the sanctuary. Visitors can feed the lorikeets directly twice a day. Once a day there is a bird of prey show with several kinds of raptors showing off their speed agility and keen eyesight. The 'Koala Forest' is a large koala enclosure with over 30 koalas surrounding the customers. The koalas are fed mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary opened their new world-class koala science and research facility, the Brisbane Koala Science Institute, on Saturday 30 June 2018. Constructed in collaboration with the

Brisbane City Council Brisbane City Council (BCC) is the democratic executive local government authority for the City of Brisbane, the capital city of the state of Queensland, Australia. The largest City Council in Australia by population and area, BCC's jurisd ...

, the facility is home to two full-time research staff, a research laboratory, and a ‘Koala Biobank’ (koala genetic depository). Through joint projects with universities and other research establishments, the institute will be working towards real, practical outcomes for local koala populations. Taking advantage of the sanctuary's central location, Lone Pine hopes to improve collaboration within the science community through the use of the Institutes’ meeting spaces and seminar hall. Guests to Lone Pine will be able to enjoy the Institute daily from 9am-5pm, via the public viewing area complete with interactive displays, koala skywalk, and viewing windows into the sanctuary's wildlife kitchen, research laboratory, and wildlife hospital. Access to the facility is included in entry to the sanctuary. Mammals Birds Reptiles and amphibians

Transport

There is an entrance to the sanctuary from a car park, and also an entrance to the sanctuary from the Brisbane River. One can arrive by private car or taxi, a journey of approximately 20 minutes from the city centre. One can also catch a

Brisbane Transport Transport for Brisbane, previously called Brisbane Transport'','' is an organisational division of the Brisbane City Council, responsible through its related Council Committee for providing policy and advice to Brisbane City Council, and for de ...

bus, or arrive by ferry or express boat from the

Queensland Cultural Centre The Queensland Cultural Centre is a heritage-listed cultural centre at Grey Street, South Brisbane, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is part of the South Bank precinct on the Brisbane River. It was built from 1976. The major compon ...

pontoon.

Photos

Awards

In 2009 as part of the Q150 celebrations, the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for its role as a "location".

References

External links

*
Wildlife, Parks and Gardens
– SunZine {{Zoos of Queensland 1927 establishments in Australia Zoos established in 1927 Buildings and structures in Brisbane Tourist attractions in Queensland Zoos in Queensland Wildlife parks in Australia Animal charities based in Australia Articles containing video clips Koalas