(AU/CN) Koalas' Olympic-sized party

[Guest guest]

Koalas' Olympic-sized party

Daily Telegraph

June 12, 2007

 

RIC Birch normally specialises in throwing extravagant Olympics ceremonies for

billions of television viewers. But the Australian creative guru's next

assignment is a birthday party for two koalas.

 

This won't be an ordinary cake-and-streamers affair, however, because these are

no ordinary koalas. In fact, Birch is promising a multi-million-dollar

extravaganza.

 

In his most bizarre assignment, the Sydney Olympics " ringmaster " , who is

currently working with Steven Spielberg on the 2008 Beijing Olympics ceremonies,

has been commissioned to put on the first birthday party for rare twin koalas,

born in a Chinese zoo last year.

 

The twins have caused a sensation since their birth at the Xiangjiang Safari

Park in Guangzhou in southern China, attracting hundreds of thousands of

visitors. Their parents are Murrumbidgee and Murray, two of six koalas sent to

China last year by the Gold Coast's Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

 

But it's the twins which have sparked huge interest. Such is the excitement that

the safari park's billionaire owner, Su Zhigang, has hired Birch to stage the

birthday party for the twins - dubbed Little Michelle and Little Amanda after

their original Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary keepers.

 

Birch will take time out from Beijing Games planning to put on the koala party.

" It seemed oddball enough to fly halfway around the world to do " .

 

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21887298-5001021,00.html

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[Poster's comment]

 

Chime-Long Group:

 

Chime-Long is marketing itself as a one stop tourist resort and 'world class

tourist kingdom'.

 

The Chime-Long properties are Chime-Long Paradise, Chime-Long International

Circus, Xiangjiang Safari Park, Chime-Long Water Park, Chime-Long Hotel,

Chime-Long Golf Practice Center, Xiangjiang Hotel, Xiangjiang Restaurant and

Guangzhou Crocodile Park.

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Xiangjiang Safari Park:

 

http://www.chimelong.com (Chinese and English)

 

http://xjzoo.com.cn (English)

 

Interactive Safari Park map:

 

http://xjzoo.com.cn/map-1.html

 

Koala video:

 

http://www.xjzoo.com.cn/live.htm

 

[Moderator's comment]

See also:

http://www.aapn.org/zoopage2.html - scroll down to " Panyu "