Young blue eyes

HE gets his name from Ol' Blue Eyes himself - and no wonder given Frankie is the world's only blue-eyed koala. His piercing eyes have dumbfounded animal carers who were so worried they tested his vision.

Staff at his Dreamworld home on the Gold Coast found that apart from some reduced pigmentation, Frankie, named after Frank Sinatra, has perfect vision. Dreamworld supervisor Michelle Barnes said she doubted her own eyes when she first saw Frankie.

While Frankie, now nine months old, was the centre of media attention yesterday, it will be a couple of months before he faces the public. Those eyes are impressive but his nose is his most important feature with its keen sense of smell.