The Lone Koala Sanctuary: Part 2

Despite the name of the place, the koala's weren't alone at the Lone Koala Sanctuary. It was host and home to many other native Australian animals that tourists typically expect to see wandering the streets and are baffled when they don't see them running all over the place.

"I've been in Brisbane for three days already and I haven't seen ANY kangaroo's!" 

There were kookaburra's....
"kookaburra sits in the old gum tree
merry merry king of the bush is he
laugh kookaburra laugh kookaburra!
how gay your life must be."

There was a Tasmanian Devil. Sleeping in the sun and not running around like a wild one.

There was a possum.

After the koala's, my next favourite was the wombat, for a variety of reasons. 

 hi ted.

He's so cute and grumpy and was even messing around with his blankie. 

So cute, but watch out!! 

 Speaking of watching out, there is a perentie, the largest lizard in Australia and the fourth largest in the world. I dont know if you can see in the picture, but that is an entire bird in its mouth. Mum and I were walking by, about to skip the reptile until we were distracted by a loud flock of birds calling out and swooping down into the pen as they surrounded it from a nearby tree. We went around and saw this giant lizard munching down on a bird, bits of feathers protruding from his mouth as others fluttered to the ground. Apparently he jumped up and caught his lunch as they flew by and casually continued to eat it whole as the rest of the birds desperately and unsuccessfully to get their little bird friend back.

And if you can't see the victim being eaten, here's a video with commentary by a lady who saw it all happen.

my camera skills are tremendous.

I just noticed now, but I wonder if that lizard knows the crocodile is stealthily looking at him...One hungry chomp and the little lizard is gone in a swallow. A bit different from the scene above. People often get attacked by crocodiles but I wonder if a perentie lizard ever attacked someone, or if they prefer feathers. 

onwards away from the dangerous animals. There was a platypus in a tank, but Thank GOODNESS they didn't have a spider section. Had enough of that in my own room and in the vineyard thank you very much, Western Australia.

mum taking a picture of an emu, from a distance

a wallaby is kinda a smaller kangaroo. sorta.

these kangaroo's were definitely drugged. How they let anyone go near them and touch them and surround them and be photogenic all day I have no idea.

i feel creeeeeepy. but so cute and incredibly soft! please don't jump at me!

I don't know what anyone expects a pouch to look like, like a pocket right? but it definitely wouldn't be a giant slit in the mother's belly. 

I know it's supposed to be very natural and ooooh ahhhhh, but it doesn't look that comfortable, for either one. For the mother to have knobby legs coming at her in all directions and for the baby roo to be crouched in an orifice that looks so clammy and sweaty in there....

Along comes papa

There was a kangaroo rest area, where funnily enough, there were kangaroo's actually resting in there. I dont know how they know to go in there, or maybe they just want to escape the tourists, but it was quite clever, in a way...

The Lone Koala Sanctuary is a better experience than expected. It's still a zoo with captive animals, but for the exposure the visitor gets to these native animals which they expect to see in the country but might not get a chance to be out in the wild with them, let alone touch them, it's quite enjoyable by all....as shown by all the celebrities, royalties, pop stars, bands, and cool people that go there. 

The Lone Koala Sancutary: Part 1

When we decided to go to the Lone Koala Sanctuary, I was imagining an island full of trees with little koalas nestled high above, sleeping but not falling and lazily munching on the starchy leaves. If I had known it was a bit like a zoo, I don't think I would've added it to my list of things to do in Brisbane. But, the Sanctuary, like many if not most public and touristy places in Australia was well laid out, tourist friendly but not over crowded, had something exciting around every corner, and over-all a fun excursion for anyone of all ages. 

I split this day into two posts as there are just too many cuddly koala pictures not to include, but the Sanctuary had a wide range of native Australian species. The koalas though...how could you resist not loving them! I feel bad for them being kept in captivity: there were kindergarten/bachelor/retired koalas and the pens were not very contained so I would imagine for the safety of the visitors, these animals were perhaps drugged to remain so docile - even though it is in their nature to be lazy, I have heard they could be quite vicious and ferocious....just check out those claws!

I mean, how can you not want to squeeze and cuddle this little fur ball?

*gasp* ohmygoodness.

they like to scratch. like me.

they like to nibble. on leaves. but they are very picky about freshness.

they're curious. or high.

they're alert. somewhat.

 they like to sleep. a lot.

they like to hang out. real cool.