Wednesday, March 27, 2019

3/26 Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Another day- another animal experience.  The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary may be the only place where you can actually hold a koala.  I was here in 2006 and the park is the same, but the holding has been enlarged.  The first time only one person could hold at a time.  Now there are 3 stations with a keeper at each one, a photographer moving from station to station and a director moving people briskly through the process.  The Koalas are only allowed to work 1/2 hour in a two week period.  Most of the ones being held are males because they can do it for many years and can get used to the routine.  The females can only work until they have a baby and then they are retired.

 We each held this koala.  His name was Max.




We took this small boat up the river.  The skipper first had to add air to the pontoons.  (Made me just a little nervous)

We had a very high step up to the ramp when we got off.  Calder realized that I was going to have problems, so positioned himself so that he could give me an extra push to make it up.  He is really good at helping me and makes me feel cosseted.  I was glad that we were taking the bus back, I never would have been able to get back into the boat.

1 comment:

Ellen Bloom said...

Calder is FINALLY smiling in a photograph! He looks like he has bonded with the koala! Great photo!