Australia: Lone Pine Sanctuary – Koalas
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary started in 1927 with just two injured koalas – Jack & Jill. Over the years, more and more insured and orphaned koalas came to the sanctuary, and it grew to become world’s largest. There are no over 100 koalas here, just hanging out (literally) and munching on eucalyptus all day long, looking sluggish and stoned. Koala’s digestive system is specialized to consuming rough eucalyptus foliage, and not all eucalypti are palatable to koalas. Low in calories, such diet requires that koalas sleep 18-22 hours per day.
