close-up of a young koala bear (Phascolarctos cinereus) on a tree eating eucalypt leaves.
Cover close-up of a young koala bear (Phascolarctos cinereus) on a tree eating eucalypt leaves.

Need a pick-me-up to boost morale? There's nothing like reality koala TV to put you in a better mood.

If your trip to Australia has been thwarted by COVID-19, or you just need a bit of furry, cuddly inspiration, one of the largest koala sanctuaries in Australia has installed 24/7 webcams that bring the animals to your living room couch.

Though the coronavirus has closed the gates to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane, keepers have installed eight cameras around the habitat that capture the koalas eating, playing and sleeping, away from prying visitor eyes.

At the Koala Forest, cameras live stream their resident female koalas, who can be identified by their unmarked white chests (males have brown scent glands). Female koalas are also smaller than males.

The Koala Train cam offers a view of the spot where some of the koalas like to "cuddle" together on chilly mornings, or sleep huddled in a group hug. Though koalas are normally solitary animals, the koalas at the sanctuary are more social than their wild counterparts, having grown up with each other, keepers say.

The sanctuary opened in 1927 as a refuge for sick, injured and orphaned koalas and spans 200,000 square meters.

Read also: Eco Tourism: 5 Ethical Animal Experiences Around The World