(CN) Koala mania and rain

July 28, 2006

Koala mania and rain

Cindy Lord

The Courier Mail

July 29, 2006

OUTSIDE it was verging on koala mania as China opened its first Australiana

precinct with brass bands, dancers and an unexpected torrential downpour.

But inside the new $US3 million ($3.93 million) koala enclosure at

Xiangjiang Safari Park in Guangzhou, the guests of honour slept soundly

through the fanfare, unaware of the huge interest they are generating.

After the doors to the koala house opened yesterday, hundreds of people

pressed up to the glass of the airconditioned and soundproofed enclosure to

get their first glimpse of the Australian icon, with more than 100,000 more

expected to visit the zoo over the next week.

" Koalas are so cute, they are lovely, " Guangzhou resident Zhang Xiasui, 46,

said. " It is a little like a panda, it moves very slowly. "

The opening marks the official handover of the six koalas which are on loan

from the Australian Government.

The koalas, which are part of a breeding program, arrived in China in April

from the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary on the Gold Coast.

The Guangzhou safari park and zoo has one of the most successful breeding

programs in the world because the baby animals are hand-reared.

The international koala transfer to China is part of a deal struck between

the safari park, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary on the Gold Coast and

Environment Australia.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary CEO Michelle Monsour said the global

co-operation resulting from the Koalas for China project gave Australia a

much needed voice in China on wildlife conservation.

The owner, Mr Su, who is also a congressman, said the placement of the

Australiana precinct at the heart of the zoo showed how highly the koala is

regarded.

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