New darlings at Taipei Zoo’s Muzha branch: Australian koalas arrive in Taiwan

By Li Xinyi, reporting

The four koalas “Flynn,” “Coral,” “Tiwi,” and “Empress” gifted to Taipei Zoo by Australia’s Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary arrived in Taiwan yesterday (the 23rd) aboard an EVA Air flight from Brisbane, Australia. This marks the fourth time EVA Air has transported koalas from Australia to Taiwan, and the largest single shipment of koalas on a single flight to date.

The four koalas were each placed in separate crates and transported in individual pallets within the bulk cargo hold adjacent to the passenger cabin. This arrangement facilitated access by the four veterinarians and animal caretakers from Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary who accompanied the flight, allowing them to check on and care for the koalas during the journey.

In addition to recently transporting two red-crowned cranes from Japan’s Kushiro Zoo free of charge and making four previous koala shipments to Taiwan, EVA Air also flew giant pandas Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan from Sichuan to Taiwan in 2008, showcasing extensive experience in animal transportation.