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Koalas are a a lot beloved nationwide icon \u2013 priceless in biodiversity phrases, but in addition a golden goose for the tourism trade, with one examine from 2014 estimating they\u2019re price A$3.2bn ($2.14bn; \u00a31.68bn) every year and help as much as 30,000 jobs.<\/p>\n
Nonetheless the once-thriving marsupial is in dramatic decline, having been ravaged by land clearing, bushfires, drought, illness and different threats. <\/p>\n
Estimates differ significantly, however some teams say as few as 50,000 of the animals are left within the wild and the species is formally listed as endangered alongside a lot of the east coast. There at the moment are fears the animals will probably be extinct in some states inside a technology.<\/p>\n
And so defending koalas, each within the wild and in captivity, is an emotional and complicated matter in Australia.<\/p>\n
All states have strict environmental protections for the species, and plenty of of them have already outlawed koala “holding”.<\/p>\n
For instance, New South Wales \u2013 Australia\u2019s most populous state – banned it in 1997. There, the foundations state {that a} koala can’t be \u201cpositioned straight on\u2026 or [be] straight held by any customer for any objective\u201d.<\/p>\n
However in Queensland \u2013 and a choose few locations in South Australia and Western Australia \u2013 the follow continues.<\/p>\n
For these prepared to fork out, they will snap an image cuddling a koala, for instance at Gold Coast theme park Dreamworld for A$29.95 and the internationally famend Australia Zoo for A$124. <\/p>\n
Steve Irwin even went on the report to argue that these experiences assist conservation efforts.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen individuals contact an animal, the animal touches their coronary heart. And immediately, we\u2019ve gained them over to the conservation of that species,\u201d the late conservationist as soon as stated.<\/p>\n
And the Queensland authorities say there are clear guidelines round this. For starters, the koalas can’t be used for images for greater than three days in a row earlier than they\u2019re required to have a day without work. <\/p>\n
They will solely be on responsibility for half-hour a day, and a complete of 180 minutes every week. And females with joeys should not be dealt with by the general public.<\/p>\n
\u201cI used to joke, because the surroundings minister, that our koalas have the perfect union round,\u201d stated Queensland Premier Steven Miles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n