Guest guest Posted July 11, 2006 Report Share Posted July 11, 2006 Cuddly koala contingent arrives in Guangzhou home China News 2006-04-28 Six koalas arrived in the southern city of Guangzhou yesterday, the first time the sleepy Australian marsupial has set foot on the Chinese mainland. The koalas, three female and three male, were donated by the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in Queensland, Australia, and will be raised at Xiangjiang Safari Park. They are between two and four years old. The donation is a celebratory gift marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Sino-Australian diplomatic relations. According to Dong Guixin, general manager of the park, the donation is part of a global koala protection plan agreed upon by Australia and China. The safari park has been chosen by the Australian Government after visits and evaluations by Australian experts. " The park is an ideal habitat for the lovely koalas in terms of the climate, fodder supply and technical support, " he said. " We are capable of taking good care of them. " Dong said that the park has designated 13.3 hectares of land for the koalas and has about 40,000 eucalyptus trees, the leaves of which the koalas live on. The safari park, which opened to the public eight years ago, is home to more than 460 species. He said that the koalas are in their prime so the safari park should produce its own cubs in the next couple of years. The park will become China's koala gene bank and propagation base. According to Kelli-Ann Kerin, consul of the Australian Consulate-General Guangzhou, the koalas will easily acclimatize to the living environment in Guangzhou as the city shares a climate similar to Queensland. She said she believed that the koalas will get on well, thanks to the good preparation by the park, and technical support and training from Australian experts. The six koalas was handpicked from 56 at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and they were quarantined for a whole month before being flown over on a chartered aircraft. The koalas will be isolated for over one month in Guangzhou for acclimatization to the environment, and will be unveiled to the public in late June. The news of the arrival has aroused great interest among local people. " Koalas are very cute, I just can't wait to see them! " Guo Guo, a Guangzhou resident, told China Daily. http://www.chinanews.cn//news/2005/2006-04-28/22204.html ........................ Koalas reside in Guangzhou's safari park China News 2006-05-15 The Guangzhou Xiang Jiang Safari Park started to construct the residential and display zones for Australian treasure koalas on May 12. Elephants in the park laid the stakes for the new zones. Pictured: Australian experts in koalas planted eucalypts, the leaves of which are favorite food of koalas. Chinanews, May 15 - The koalas showed an evidence of reproduction only ten days after the Guangzhou Xiang Jiang Safari Park had introduced them from Australia. In order to make preparations for more koalas to be born, the safari park started to build the residential and display zones for koalas on May 12th based on the existing koala hall, which will provide better living conditions for those koalas and higher-level appreciative enjoyment for tourists as well. http://www.chinanews.cn//news/2005/2006-05-15/22688.html ........................ Koala public show start next month NewsGD 2006-05-31 It was learned from Guangdong Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau that " 6 koalas had completed all the quarantine checks and had passed the quarantine period successfully " , which means the first 6 koalas introduced into Mainland China are available for public show. During the 30-day waiting period, many citizens called in to inquire the date for the official public showing of these koalas. With a view to the fact these koalas need a course to gradually recover and be familiar with tourists after the quarantine period, the Xiangjiang Safari Park decided to open only to some well organized tours so that the koalas could build up their trust of tourists gradually. Therefore, the official public show is expected at the end of June or at the beginning of July. The three winners of the " Koalas Guessing Competition " and their families were specially invited by the Park to be the first tourists to see in person these " most adorable animals in the world " . To celebrate their arrival in China for a month, the Park specially decorated a huge " eucalypt cake " on May 26, on which children put eucalypt branches and leaves. As soon as these koalas were carried out for the " cake " , people swarmed to take pictures. The Park staff had to keep reminding people to, " Keep your distance, don't get them scared! " . These little koalas did not seem afraid of people as they looked around. http://www.newsgd.com/news/guangdong1/200605310072.htm ........................ Koalas Have Adapted to Life in Guangzhou China News 2006-05-20 Australia's national treasure koalas have lived over 20 days at Guangzhou's Xiangjiang Safari Park. Experts from the Guangdong Inspection and Quarantine Bureau of Imported and Exported Animals and Plants examined and quarantined six lovely koalas on May 18. At present, these koalas are in normal physical condition and have basically adapted themselves to their life in Guangzhou. They will pass the quarantine period and receive visitors in ten days. http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/974/2006/05/20/63 (AT) 91946 (DOT) htm ........................ Koala to give birth in China China News 2006-05-09 [Photos] http://www.chinanews.cn//news/2005/2006-05-09/22471.html ........................ UKI not give birth to a " Chinese Koala " China News 2006-06-12 [Photo] http://www.chinanews.cn//news/2005/2006-06-12/23715.html ........................ Australia's Koalas charms visitors in China China Economic Net 2006-07-09 [Photos] http://en.ce.cn/National/pic-news/200607/09/t20060709_7660871.shtml ........................ Xiangjiang Safari Park Site in Chinese only http://www.chimelong.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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