For instance, two koalas first came from Australia to Japan in 1983. Now the number of koalas in Japanese zoos has increased to 77, and 58 of them were born in Japan. In 1993, on the 10 th anniversary of a koala export program from Australia to Japan, some koalas born and raised in Higashiyama Zoo, Nagoya city, even exported to Australia as a goodwill gesture. This presence offers tourists a chance to hug a koala for five minutes and to take a picture with it by paying only five Australian dollars. The sanctuary has a service which sends the picture to the visitors' home country.
Koalas are big business in Australia.
However, koalas in Australia may be on the verge of becoming an endangered species due to tourism and urbanization. Today, koalas are found only in a particular area, southeast Australia. The increase in number of hotels and beach front resorts much contributed to this result. Moreover, the number of koalas has been decreasing. Once koalas come down from trees, they face risks, such as being hit by cars, killed by pet dogs, and drowned in swimming pools.