Modi charmed by Australian Koala bear at G20

Image
Press Trust of India Brisbane
Last Updated : Nov 15 2014 | 11:05 PM IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi got a delightful Australian welcome when he was charmed by a cuddly koala bear during a break at the G20 summit here.
The wild-eyed koala was brought to the Prime Minister by officials at the backstage of the G20 summit.
Modi "tangled" with the koalas deployed by Australia in a a behind-the-scenes diplomatic effort.
Other than the Indian Prime Minister, world leaders including US President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin also tangled with the koalas backstage, the Herald Sun reported.
Obama was seen to get in on the cuddly action by hugging a koala with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
Putin, a wild-lover, also cuddled the koalas, an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia.
After pledging to "shirt-front" the former KGB operative at the international talks, Abbott put the pair's differences briefly aside to introduce Putin to a couple of koalas.
Koala bears are notoriously capricious and sleep for up to 20 hours a day and feed on a diet of special eucalyptus leaves.
They had been training for the high-status visit, acoording to a report in the daily.
Earlier, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott's wife Margie Abbott took G20 leaders' partners on a tour of the Lone Pine koala sanctuary in Brisbane where Chinese President Xi Jinping's wife Peng Liyuan and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's wife Laureen also enjoyed feeding kangaroos and meeting a group of koalas.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Nov 15 2014 | 11:05 PM IST

Next Story