A perfect disguise!:
A teddy bear sent from England to Australia has been quarantined in case it was bringing diseases or exotic pests into the country.
...Caroline Rothwell, 26, posted the toy from her home in Stoke, Staffordshire, to childhood best friend and Stoke City fan Natalie Kinnaird, in her new home of Perth, in Western Australia.
But when the parcel, which also included baby clothes, arrived at Natalie's home the bear was missing - except for a note stating it was quarantined and not allowed into the country.
Now Natalie has been informed she must pay 41 Australian dollars to send the bear back to Britain.
Stunned support worker Caroline explained: 'The bear was a gift from my one-year-old daughter Isabelle to Natalie's new baby son James.
'Natalie has been over to visit me in Stoke a few times and I thought it would be nice to send the new baby something from here.
...Australia prides itself on its rigid border police - the Customs and Border Protection Service - and it's diligent quarantine unit, called the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service.
...The country is deemed to be one of the toughest to enter in the world, with a no-nonsense immigration policy based on a skills and points tally.
...Quarantine rules stipulate that animal matter - including wool and furs, as well as stuffed animals - are not allowed into the country.
...A spokeswoman for DAFF, speaking from Canberra, in Australia, said that officials could have been concerned about the woolly jumper the bear was wearing, or possibly the stuffing material. ...'We have a very enviable bio-security status so we do take security very seriously.
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