Koala – again – for the Brisbane Olympics mascot?
The Brisbane Olympics are 10 years away, but it's never too early to start the debate about what the mascot should be.
Olympic mascots were designed to promote the history and culture of the host city and help welcome athletes and visitors to the games. Sydney went with a trifecta for the 2000 Games – Syd the platypus, Olly the kookaburra and Millie the echidna.
Cameron Costello, who sits on the Queensland Tourism Industry Council and the state's Koala Advisory Council, told the ABC the koala was the clear front-runner.
He said he already had vision of its characteristics – a koala that was First Nations, a scientist and female.
"We should be known as the koala capital of the world," he said, "and that's our opportunity that I hope we seize heading towards 2032."
For the record, the koala is an endangered species.
The Queensland tourism minister has suggested the ibis – the bird many Aussies call the 'bin chicken' because of its scavenging habits.
What are your suggestions? Is the koala a case of been-there-done-that? Would the ibis be appropriate?
Sometimes things can get stale, and although I love. love, koalas, I have no objection to the Ibis taking over.
They're elegant and deserving of a raise in status!
My three bears ...
Borobi the mascot of the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast; Willy the Koala the Australian mascot for the 1984 LA Olympics (given to me by a student in my class whose father wore the Willy suit in LA), and my beloved 1948 childhood teddy.
I can see this on the Olympics flag....
Credit: ABC
The Queensland tourism minister has suggested the ibis – the bird many Aussies call the 'bin chicken' because of its scavenging habits.