Friends of the Koala Care, Education and Research CentreThe Friends of the Koala Care, Education and Research Centre is located in Lismore which is central to the Northern Rivers of NSW, Australia.

It has the capacity to care for approximately 15 koalas at any one time. There are usualy 8-10 koalas in the Care Centre, depending on the time of year.

Koalas requiring specialised veterinary care and orphans are not cared for in the Care Centre because they require constant attention. They are placed in home care with very experienced koala carers or at facilities able to provide specialised services such as The Australian Wildlife Hospital.

Friends of the Koala has currently outgrown our current Centre. The number of admittances is above what we are able to care for at the facility and many need 24 hour care or specialised care which to date cannot be provided locally. Plans for a bigger and better Koala Care, Educational and Research Centre are well advanced. Architect drawings of the proposed new facility can be viewed by clicking here .

The new Centre will enable us to provide more comprehensive care for sick and injured koalas, an educational facility to showcase the importance of biodiversity in one of the most biodiverse parts of Australia and will assist with research to address the plight of the koala as its populations are decimated from disease and habiat loss.

Our only limitations are funding. To make a tax deductable donation towards the Friends of the Koala Buiding Fund click here .

The majority of costs associated with running the current Care Centre are raised via Donations , the Support a Koala program and sales from the Nursery .

The Care Centre is completely run by volunteers.

Two shifts of volunteers per day cater to the needs of the koalas. The morning shift medicates and provides supplements for the koalas. The afternoon shift changes leaf, cleans enclosures and provides any medications needed twice daily.

Local volunteers are required to attend regular training on koala assessment and handling. If you would like to become a volunteer in the Care Centre please contact us. It is an incredibly rewarding experience to be able to attend to a wild koala and watch its road to recovery.

Overseas volunteers are able to apply for a placement at the Friends of the Koala Care Centre via an online webform. Overseas volunteers are dependant upon an available supervisor so there is no guarantee of a placement.

The Friends of the Koala Care, Educational and Research Centre is open for educational tours which offer information on koalas and their habitat.

Tour times are strictly

Saturday mornings - 10am

Monday to Friday - 10am and 2pm only

The koalas in care are wild animals, either sick or injured. They cannot be handled by members of the public as it would cause them stress. We want to keep them wild so their chances of survival when returned to their original habitat are high.

Tours are a great opportunity to hear the koalas stories, find out about the huge hurdles koalas in care have overcome and if you are able to revisit them, provide an opportunity to follow a particular koala's journey back to the wild.

A small donation of $5 per adult is requested for tours.