Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

I visited the iconic Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary when we were here on our recruitment visit back in May 2013. In coming here, Ed was following in the footsteps of his former boss at Encana, in Canada. Michael and Deanne had already been here several months. While Ed was at the office checking things out, Deanne picked me up and we went to the iconic Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. Here, for the first time, I held a Koala and got up close to pet and feed the kangaroos. I saw Dingos, Kookaburras, Tasmanian Devil, Wombat, and more. I did not touch the Emu even though I was able to walk right up to it!

Koala handler and Diane

kanga and boy

Joey and Mama

Tasmanian Devil

“The scientific name ‘Sarcophilus’ (meaning ‘flesh-lover’) is well suited to the Tasmanian Devil as these carnivorous scavengers feed on fresh meat as well as rotting carcasses of wallabies, wombats, lizards, frogs, almost anything they can find. When devils feed on their prey, they consume the entire animal – flesh, fur, bones and all.” “Uninterrupted, Tasmanian Devils can eat up to 40% of their body weight in 30 minutes.””As a top predator in the Australian environment, the Tasmanian Devil helps maintain small animal populations and assists in disposing of carcasses. By consuming their prey and half-rotten meat in its entirety, they act like natural vacuum cleaners, keeping the bush healthy and reducing maggots.”