PANDAMONIUM!
Bringing giant pandas to Edinburgh zoo (on loan) as part of a deal costing, reputedly, £6,000,000 or more, is madness.
Spending vast sums (maybe as much as £700,000) feeding them Dutch bamboo over the next 10 years is utterly ridiculous (just think of the food miles as well).
The public have been ‘bamboozled’ into believing that for some inexplicable reason this iconic species belongs in Edinburgh – it does not! Panda conservation should take place in the wild, in China (where both giant pandas and bamboo occur naturally).
If Edinburgh has panda cash to spare, that’s where it should be invested.
Blogging off!
Will
See this article in The Independent for more.
November 8th, 2011 at 3:13 pm
Couldn’t have put it better myself Will – what next “Polar Bears” in the Sahara? When will this madness cease.
November 8th, 2011 at 8:25 pm
Just think how much natural habitat could’ve been secured with that money. I feel quite sick.
November 9th, 2011 at 8:29 am
pandora!!!
November 9th, 2011 at 1:16 pm
As a scotsman i am ashamed that our government has allowed this to happen. As usual money comes before humanity to satisy our ignorant public!
November 10th, 2011 at 9:32 am
As ever, Will is spot on. Waste of money.
November 14th, 2011 at 7:27 am
With the undoubted surge in visitors the pandas will bring, it appears more like an attempt to save the zoo not the panda. Save the wild habitat – if we don’t the panda is doomed anyway.
November 17th, 2011 at 11:51 am
Why o why ?This will cost mega bucks.The money could be used for far better things.Anyway ,Edinburgh Zoo euthanises Animals that are not perfect in the the captive breeding programme.
Please say no.
November 17th, 2011 at 12:12 pm
This is truly appalling. About to compose an email to Edinburgh Zoo. Hope others do this as well. Strength in numbers I hope.
November 17th, 2011 at 12:38 pm
This publicity stunt is simply pandering to the people, who will flock to the zoo and increase its profits. It will not benefit the poor pandas, who should be left in China and not put in foreign, or any other kinds of zoo! Wildlife belongs in the wild! When will man learn that profit is not the be all and end all of everything? Will it be too late before he realizes the error of his ways. Life in a zoo is no kind of life at all and a life without freedom is just not worth living. Born free and living free – that is the only way to go!
November 17th, 2011 at 3:23 pm
I’ve just emailed the zoo and given them a piece of my mind about using captive pandas to generate profit rather than helping to conserve wild ones in their natural habitat! it’s disgusting. It’s all about £££…zoos are in it for the money just like any other business. They shouldn’t actually exist in this day and age. Animals in cages or “enclosures” is wrong, wrong, wrong!!!!!
November 17th, 2011 at 3:24 pm
A ridiculous expense for the Scots and, although I am old enough to remember Ming the Giant Panda at London zoo when I was four years old, and loved him, I have to agree that they should not be kept in captivity here in the UK.
November 17th, 2011 at 5:18 pm
Proving once again that zoos are far less interested in conservation than bringing in the visitors and making a profit.
I am doing my best for a zoo in North Somerset, who now have planning permission for an “elephant Sanctuary” of 20 acres.
November 17th, 2011 at 5:56 pm
Another example of using animals for profit.
November 17th, 2011 at 6:30 pm
I feel really sad. Wild animals should remain in the wild and NOT BE KEPT IN CAGES FOR MAKING A PROFIT!!! these wonderful panda’s should remain in china. Edinburgh zoo needs to seriously reconcider there action ASAP and the welfare of the panda’s
November 17th, 2011 at 8:13 pm
What a stupid waste of money!
November 17th, 2011 at 8:18 pm
I totally agree that Edinburgh Zoo need a rethink. These beautiful animals need to stay in China and the money saved should be used to support other projects that are far more beneficial and really help the animals!
November 18th, 2011 at 12:44 am
This is awful. Imagine what ‘real’ conservation could be done for that amount of money. Another example of exploitation of a wild animal for profit or ‘entertainment’.
November 18th, 2011 at 8:00 am
This is absolutely ridiculous in my personal opinion i think that zoo’s are getting extremely desperate as more people are becoming aware that animals in captivity is very wrong and they have made a commitment to stop supporting them. So they are taking drastic measures to get the public to visit and support them again. If more people took a stand against animals in zoos and circuses they would have no choice but to close down and hopefully put these animals where they belong back in the wild or at least in sanctuaries where they can have a long and happy life. Going to email the zoo with a piece of my mind as well please people do the same if you can, it can only help.
November 18th, 2011 at 9:30 am
This staggering sum of money could make a real difference in terms of conservation. I really cannot think that these actions are justified in the 21st century – maybe in Victorian or Edwardian times it could be justified.
November 18th, 2011 at 10:11 am
This ridiculous!! Panda’s belong to the high mountains in China and NOT in a cold Scottish Zoo!!!!!
I hope Aberdeen Zoo directors will consider their STUPID decision.
November 18th, 2011 at 10:25 am
I totally agree with what everybody has said above. It is sad, appalling and ridiculous. I shall email the Zoo and tell them exactly what I think.
November 18th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
I know that the Chinese Panda Conservatio Service used the money they charge zoos for taking Pandas to further develop the processes by which these fabulous animals can be saved and some returned to the wild in future. Lending pandas to zoos around the world is a two edged sword. The Chinese need the money for their conservation programme but placing an animal in a confined space is not an ideal situation. So how does the Chinese Conservation Service get funds to continue to save pandas without loaning them at considerable expense to zoos.
Condemning a life in a zoo is worthy, but who funds the Chinese services. Don’t get me wrong I deplore the sending of adult pandas to zoos but I understand the dilemma of those who own them. Has anyone a solution ????
November 18th, 2011 at 6:49 pm
This is disgraceful, pandas should be left in the wild and such a huge waste of money that could be put to actually helping animals rather than using them for profit.
November 18th, 2011 at 8:27 pm
I do hope Edinburgh Zoo reconsiders its decision. Pandas belong in China not in zoos.
November 19th, 2011 at 10:24 am
So how can we effectively campaign against this?
November 21st, 2011 at 11:22 am
crazy idea…..spend money on something else
November 26th, 2011 at 11:52 pm
the zoo’s main priority should be to provide better conditions and more space for the animals it currently has, not to spend its funds on bringing in more animals for which it cannot provide adequate care in the limited space it has. I believe this addition will be for profit reasons,not for conservation.