Animal welfare organisation leads calls for koala cuddling to be officially outlawed
"In half an hour a koala can be passed through the arms of 20 different people, they say. Ultimately the group wants much heavier regulation on the use of animals in captivity for entertainment, including an outright ban on breeding except “for a genuine conservation purpose”."
"They also want all venues to end “any offerings that involve holding wild animals or having humans in proximity to them in a way that may cause the animals distress”.
Suzanne Milthorpe from World Animal Protection Australia said “the future of wildlife tourism is seeing wild animals in the wild where they belong”."
“Tourists are increasingly moving away from outdated, stressful selfie encounters."
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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/jul/04/koala-cuddling-ban-queensland-lone-pine-sanctuary
"Reducing visitor demand for cruel koala cuddles is vital to stop wild koalas being bred in captivity for our entertainment and profit."
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https://www.worldanimalprotection.org.au/take-action/cruel-koala-cuddles/#action
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