Tourists ToldNot to hug Koalas
CANBERRA: REUTRS-TOURISTS and visitors to the Australian state of New south wales will not be allowed to hug koalas bears much longer.
Koalas bears are furry leaf-eating marsupials which live only in Australian But koalas are not as strong as Australian’s other popular marsupials, kangaroos. The state of New south wales wants to ban koala hugging because it distresses the animals.
New south wales will ban koala hugging in zoos and wildlife park from January 1997. tourists will still be allowed to pat koalas.
Koala cuddling is very popular with big-spending Janpanese tourists so touropertors fear that many tourists will prefer to go to other states instead of New south wales because they want to hug the cuddly bears
(Bangkok Post Students Weekly; October2, 1995)