Two decades after launching its koala conservation programme, Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou City, southern China is marking a major milestone in wildlife protection. Since welcoming six koalas from Australia in 2006, the park has expanded its koala family to more than 80 animals across eight generations, creating the largest koala population outside their native homeland.

The conservation effort has also achieved a world-first success, with the overseas birth of twin koalas at the park. Building on these achievements, the safari park has now unveiled an ambitious new initiative aimed at returning koalas to the wild.

Under the programme, koalas that complete specialised wild training and pass behavioural assessments will eventually be released into their natural habitats in Australia. The move reflects growing confidence in the park’s long-term conservation work and highlights international cooperation in protecting one of the world’s most beloved animals.