A new report from World Animal Protection, “Still Too Close for Comfort”, has celebrated the progress of four major venues ditching “koala cuddles” which it says marks a turning point in Queensland’s wildlife tourism industry.
While Queensland’s wild koala numbers halved in just two decades and their status moved from “vulnerable” to “endangered”, the report criticises venues that continue to force captive koalas into daily photo opportunities in the name of conservation.
Since World Animal Protection released its original report, “Too Close for Comfort” in 2022, four Queensland venues – Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures, Kuranda Koala Gardens and Wildlife HQ, have now ended koala cuddle experiences.
The latest report details the shifting community attitudes away from captive wildlife tourism, and the role this has played in the decline of koala cuddles.
Despite the progress, a number of prominent venues continue to capitalise on direct encounters that deny wildlife, particularly koalas, of their natural behaviours, said World Animal Protection.
At Paradise Country, koalas were being turned around by the handlers between each photo experience. Meanwhile, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary offers a ‘Breakfast with Koalas’ experience, where koalas can join diners at their table. Although Wildlife HQ no longer offer koala cuddles to the public, they have allowed influencers and celebrities to cuddle koalas as part of their mobile zoo service.
“Our latest investigation makes it clear that public sentiment towards close encounters is shifting fast, and cruel activities like koala cuddling are becoming out of touch,” said World Animal Protection Australia, Head of Campaigns, Suzanne Milthorpe.
“We’re seeing major venues ban koala cuddling in response to visitor feedback, and we’re hearing from staff on the ground that the days of cuddling koalas in Queensland are numbered.
“While some major venues are waking up to the change, it’s appalling that others are still exploiting these endangered animals for entertainment.
“At Paradise Country, koalas were being spun and passed around for cuddles and photo ops as if they were toys and not nocturnal, solitary animals.
“Koala cuddling was banned in several states, including NSW and Victoria, because of welfare concerns. World Animal Protection is calling on the Queensland Government to introduce a similar ban – both for the welfare of koalas, and the good of the Queensland tourism industry.”
Shift in attitudes
Industry survey and research findings referenced in the report signal a positive shift in public attitudes:
- Public concerns about animal welfare at zoos and aquariums have increased from 59% in 2020 to 74% of Australian respondents in 2025.
- 63% of Australian survey respondents were “fairly / very concerned about the welfare of animals in direct encounter experiences,” citing stress and unnatural behaviours as their main worries.
World Animal Protection has been campaigning for decades for an end to “cruel captive wildlife entertainment” and has publicly celebrated the end to direct koala encounters at Lone Pine and tiger encounters at Dreamworld.
Queensland is a hotspot for wildlife entertainment, with more zoos, theme parks, and wildlife entertainment venues offering close encounters with wild animals than any other state in Australia.
