Edinburgh Zoo Pandamonium to hit Edinburgh! #1
- Thread starter Nisha
- Start date
EDINBURGH Zoo’s business plan behind its deal to bring giant pandas to Scotland is being investigated by the charity regulator.
Zoo?s panda deal probed amid £4m shortfall claim - Herald Scotland | News | Home News
Zoo?s panda deal probed amid £4m shortfall claim - Herald Scotland | News | Home News
Thanks for uploading them. Do you know if they still propose to fill in the Moat? It looks to still be there in these pics.
glasgowanimal
Well-Known Member
This "news story" is in relation to a complaint made in writing to OSCR from an anti-zoo organisation
so lets lay the basics down....$1 million US dollars per year for 10 years...around £6 million over the 10 years....70% goes directly to Panda Conservation in the wild...20% to the Rescue Centre and 10% on associated costs...
Zoo income therefore requires to provide £600k per year increase...this cost is between sponsorship, fundraising and entrance, retail and catering surpluses
the society has based their 10 year plan on a 20% increase in visitor numbers ie. 120k per year on top of the current 600k figure which has been fairly consistent for many years
the Panda enclosure is designed for 15 minutes viewing of each panda with traffic of 150 visitors per 30 minutes
the plans shown at the AGM (part 1) last night certainly look good and the development work undertaken so far is very encouraging
glasgowanimal
Well-Known Member
Simon McGlary
Well-Known Member
It was also interesting to note that pandas only have problems when the temperature is continually above 75 Farenheit (around 24 celsius). So on the rare occaisions we have a major heatwave Edinburgh is an ideal location for them and it's no surprise other zoos have additional expenses for air conditioning.
Swings and roundabbouts and shows that different zoos have different circumstances and the media hav a tendency of blowing things out of all proportion. The team from Edinburgh Zoo that will be working with the pandas and building the enclosure have visited as many of the zoos with pandas and have looked at the advantages and problems at each and every zoo.
Swings and roundabbouts and shows that different zoos have different circumstances and the media hav a tendency of blowing things out of all proportion. The team from Edinburgh Zoo that will be working with the pandas and building the enclosure have visited as many of the zoos with pandas and have looked at the advantages and problems at each and every zoo.
Here are long-since promised pictures of the panda exhibit under construction (I have been travelling a lot, and forgetting in between) here are pictures I took on April 20th of the panda exhibit under development. I plan to visit again in a day or two to check on the progress and will try to take pictures then as well.
Obviously the zoo doesn't want people to see the exhibit before it is ready, but in April there were still locations from which you could see the work so far but they may have been fenced off now. This would be the former gorilla exhibit and until lately for Guinea Baboon. First picture is taken from the bridge behind the penguin exhibit, looking over the construction zone. The second picture looks down a stairway, in the building to the right (not seen on the picture) will be indoor viewing. The last picture shows what remained at the time of the old exhibit, I think I took it from some spot behind the monkey house but cannot remember.
Attachments
Below is a link to an article which has artist impressions of what the Giant Panda exhibit will look like at Edinburgh Zoo
BBC News - Edinburgh Zoo panda enclosure to have nursery for cubs
BBC News - Edinburgh Zoo panda enclosure to have nursery for cubs
Simon McGlary
Well-Known Member
Other partners.
Thanks for the pics Baldur, looking at the second picture of the house itself, it seems as though there is a lot of natural light inside the building (perhaps it is workmens lights), this can only be an improvement as it was once the gloomiest of buildings.
Simon McGlary
Well-Known Member
The second picture is looking down the steps at the end of the penguin bridge and has both the keeper doors open through to the south enclosure. Apparently the whole building has had new lock and door mechanisms to make life easier for keepers to control access internally for the animals along with a new coat of much brighter paint! The natural light was there anyway but if you paint the walls a dark colour it doesn't help. Apparently the new interim CEO has insisted that the carnivore section (who shall be looking after the pandas) have a look over the work that is going on so that they can have an input as well before it is completed.
Just posted 2 photos of the new panda enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo into the main photo gallery. Got a nice shot looking into one of the main enclosures. Both were taken last Sunday afternoon.
Planning issues mean work is on hold....
Zoo's planning problem - 'As mistakes go, this is a colossal one' - Scotsman.com News
Zoo's planning problem - 'As mistakes go, this is a colossal one' - Scotsman.com News
Another 'Scotsman' newspaper link -
http://news.scotsman.com/news/Zoo-blunder-sees-work-grind.6780388.jp
Appears that they can still do some work but the Zoo hopes that the issue will be resolved soon.
http://news.scotsman.com/news/Zoo-blunder-sees-work-grind.6780388.jp
Appears that they can still do some work but the Zoo hopes that the issue will be resolved soon.
The Duke of Edinburgh is visiting the zoo on August 11 and the zoo have confirmed that the pandas will NOT be in residence at the time of his visit.
Looks like the zoo is going to miss out on the lucrative summer holiday trade, but i am quite sure it will still be a very busy place during this time.
Looks like the zoo is going to miss out on the lucrative summer holiday trade, but i am quite sure it will still be a very busy place during this time.
Maybe better if they are coming in winter? They will be getting enough visitors in summer as it is (you would think) so the addition of pandas now may be a drawback, with problems with overcrowding?
If they arrive in winter, it may make Edinburgh a busy zoo outside of peak times and will hopefully seal the winter visitor slump?
The application was granted on 28/6/2011
PublicAccess v7.4 @ The City Of Edinburgh Council: Application Details (11/01816/FUL)
http://citydev-portal.edinburgh.gov.uk/portal/getEdmDoc?docid=501259683&ext=pdf
Although it looked like work was suspended when I was there last week - trades holiday?