For koala lovers, a farewell that's hard to bear

Visitors at the Singapore Zoo snapping pictures of Pellita, one of four koalas, in their enclosure for the last time yesterday. The four marsupials, named Chan (pronounced Shen and nicknamed Cantik), Idalia (nicknamed Sayang), Paddle (nicknamed Nila) and Pellita (nicknamed Manja) arrived in Singapore in April last year. They are on loan from Australia to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, as well as for Singapore's 50th birthday. After their "farewell" yesterday, they will be quarantined for a month in their enclosure here before being flown home to Australia.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 04, 2016, with the headline For koala lovers, a farewell that's hard to bear. Subscribe