Spot the difference?
1 November 2012
Categories: Homepage News, Zoo Check Campaign News
Take a few moments to read the following descriptions of the natural habitat of giant pandas, written by the renowned mammal biologist and conservationist George Schaller
“I try to imagine a panda’s life in the depths of bamboo, always surrounded by stems, enclosed in a dome of leaves pressing close, and beyond the white fog”
“..juicy shoots of umbrella bamboo entice pandas from the ridges into the valleys”
“beneath scattered spruce and hemlock were rhododendrons, their leaves curled tightly against the cold and large strands of bamboo in green leaf…”
“maple and larch burst into leaf, imparting a soft, green sheen to the lower slopes, and fern fronds pushed up through the mat of sodden leaves”
“arrow bamboo slopes away until stopped by a wall of conifers”
“to survive in the wild, the panda must have the freedom and security of its mountain forests”
- George Schaller, The Last Panda
Now take a look at the photos, taken by a Born Free investigator in October 2012, of the pandas’ indoor enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo.
Need we say more?
STOP PRESS:
We have heard reports that the pandas will be confined to their indoor enclosures while renovations are undertaken on the nearby penguin enclosure. The pandas have apparently reacted badly to the noise and vibrations from the construction work. So, until the end of the year, it seems, the giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo will be spending their days in the environment shown above.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Edinburgh Zoo has made it abundantly clear the pandas are here to stay. It seems unbelievable that Scotland’s flagship zoo can exhibit animals in this way. Imagine what animals have to contend with in the countless smaller, less significant zoos. You can see why Born Free’s work to challenge the zoo industry is so essential. There has to be a better way. If you agree with us, if you want to make the world a better place and help end captive animal exploitation, please join Born Free as a Zoo Check Gold Member. You’ll help us expose animal welfare problems in zoos, prevent similar situations from arising in the future, and work to phase-out zoos. Join us.
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