A plan to lend two platypuses to Japan has led to a dispute among Australian
biologists, who disagree about whether the animal ambassadors will survive
the experience.
John Fahey, Premier of New South Wales, announced last week that a pair of
platypuses will be displayed at an international exhibition in Tokyo in
1996. The loan reverses a government ban on the export of platypuses and
will be the first time in nearly 60 years that one of the animals has been
taken legally from the country.
Biologist Frank Carrick of the University of Queensland told a Sydney
newspaper that the sensitive platypuses may 鈥榞o belly up in Japan鈥�. His
concern is shared by other biologists. But Jack Giles of the Zoological
Parks Board in Sydney says: 鈥楳y opinion is that with current husbandry and
handling techniques any platypuses that go to Tokyo will be fine.
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