(Thailand) Animal Swap/Another Hold-Up

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ANIMAL SWAP / ANOTHER HOLD-UP

Bangkok Post

Friday July 07, 2006

Koala shipment delay 'not case of tit-for-tat'

KULTIDA SAMABUDDHI

 

The delay in the shipment of four koalas from

Australia to Chiang Mai is not linked to problems

surrounding the export of eight Thai elephants to zoos

in Sydney and Melbourne, an Australian embassy

official said yesterday. ''The delay has nothing to do

with the protest against the export of the Thai

elephants to Australian zoos. This is not a case of

tit-for-tat,'' the official said.

 

The Australian government would go ahead with the

transfer of two pairs of koalas to the Chiang Mai Zoo

as soon as they were confident the animals would be

safe in the hands of Thai zoo-keepers and

veterinarians.

 

The koalas were scheduled to arrive this week, but

Australia's Department of Environment and Heritage

postponed the move for 4-6 weeks because they thought

Thai veterinarians needed more training on medical

treatment for sick koalas.

 

Australian wildlife officials had already inspected

the koala house and exhibition areas at Chiang Mai Zoo

and the 2,000-rai eucalyptus plantation in Chiang Mai,

which would supply eucalyptus leaves _ the koalas'

staple food.

 

''Australian officials are satisfied with what

Thailand has prepared for our koalas, but we have to

make sure that the zoo-keepers and veterinarians, who

have been training in Australia over the past several

months, are keen enough to look after the animals,''

she said.

 

Thailand and Australia in 2004 signed an agreement on

an animal swap. Thailand would send eight elephants to

Australia in exchange for 21 Australian wildlife

species, including koalas and kangaroos.

 

The elephants' export was delayed for over a month by

a protest from wildlife activists demanding proof the

animals were not captured in the wild.

 

A senior veterinarian at the Zoological Park

Organisation said the ongoing protest would not

prevent the transport of Australian wildlife species

to Thai zoos.

 

However, the Australian government was not legally

bound to send the animals to Thailand.

 

Under the 2004 agreement the Australian animals would

be a complimentary gift to the Thai government, which

had facilitated the purchase and export of the eight

Thai elephants to Australian zoos, the official said.

 

After the four koalas, the Australians had promised to

send two red kangaroos and two wombats to Dusit Zoo,

he said.

 

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/07Jul2006_news13.php

 

 

 

 

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