A Forgotten Roll of Film and a Koala Named Brian in Changmai

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While developing a roll of film I found in one of the vintage cameras I’d purchased, I stumbled upon a fascinating piece of history. The photos revealed a koala named Brian from Sydney’s Taronga Zoo arriving in Thailand, surrounded by media and public excitement. The film was date-stamped 23rd November 2006.

Although I couldn’t recall exactly which camera the film came from, my eBay purchase history—and the date on the photos—suggest it likely came from a Nikon 801s SLR with an MF-21 multi-control back, which I bought on 25th November 2024. One of the eBay listing photos even showed the camera with its back open and a partially exposed roll of film inside. Only 20 frames had images; the rest were blank.

Curious about the koala story, I did a quick Google search and confirmed that in November 2006, Sydney’s Taronga Zoo sent four adult koalas to Chiang Mai Zoo in Thailand.

The koalas’ arrival generated significant media buzz and local excitement.

These were the first koalas ever brought to the country. The group included two males—Brian and Fuller, aged 3 and 4—and two females, Coco and Simpson, both 3 years old. They came from Taronga Zoo and the Western Plains Zoo, accompanied by Australian zoological officials to help them adjust and to train Thai zookeepers.

According to Chiang Mai Zoo’s veterinarian, Dr. Somchai, the koalas were understandably a bit unsettled at first, but quickly began eating again—a reassuring sign. To protect them from stress, the zoo initially restricted public access. After two weeks, select visitors were allowed to see them, provided they remained quiet and kept their distance.

The zoo invested around 3 million baht (approximately USD $82,000) to build an air-conditioned enclosure complete with eucalyptus trees for the koalas.

It’s a bit sad to think that the person who took these photos nearly two decades ago never got to see them developed. In today’s world, where most photos are taken on smartphones, it feels special to be able to share these never-before-seen images of a unique moment in zoological history between Australia and Thailand.