Edinburgh Zoo Giant pandas coming to Edinburgh zoo?

mjmorg89 said:
I read that they are supposed to be coming in april 2009 and it also said maybe even earlier after the accident at the reserve in china. I would have expected some work to have been started, or at least some signs saying pandas arriving 2009 or some other kind of marketing. No the tigers are still there, well at least one of them is anyway (that's all i saw) and the lions are still in their enclosure. Personally i don't think the tiger enclosure is big enough for 4 lions and it would also need modifying before they could move in. Either the panda and new lion(tiger) enclosures will be rushed and not that great, or the pandas are coming a lot later than stated.
Click to expand...

Yes but any modification to an existing enclosure may well mean it is not adeguate as a purpose built enclosure.

Maybe this how they are going to try and gain the money of there Master Plan? Recieve Giant Panda to increase income and hope that an modified enclosure, loan fees and upkeep are less than the increased income?

Seems strange that they were struggling to raise the capital for the master plan but can afford to bring Giant Panda's into the collection
 
I thought I read that the Pandas were going into the tiger enclosure. I can see them in there more than I can in the Lion enclosure. And I can't imagine the Lions in the current tiger exhibit either, I think it'd be too small for 4 Lions.
 
Yes that would make much more sense but I read lion enclosure, there are probably a few different rumors around at the moment, I guess we will just have to wait and see!
 
I think Edinburgh are being quite canny with these pandas and the way they have approached this might be a model for other zoos. With such a high-profile species, the temptation must have been to throw a pile of money at a brand-spanking new exhibit to show them off, but actually doing a minimum amount of modification to an existing enclosure makes total sense, because (a) they get the pandas, and hence the revenue they bring, sooner and (b) they don't have to offset the extra revenue against a multi-million pound capital project. A very good idea when the animals themselves are multi-million dollar bears! Hope it all works out for them.
 
I read an article a while back about Oakland's pandas and it said that the Chinese officials were not too fond of all the ultra-technology (heated rocks etc) which is thrown into panda exhibits. So perhaps Edinburgh have learnt this in the discussions and have decided to go for a simple approach.
 
Both enclosures the lion and the tiger, have great viewing positions for the public.
The lions can be viewd from three sides of their enclosure including a covered shelter at the bottom of the enclosure and a large overhead viewing shelter at the top.
The tigers are viewed from the front only through large viewing windows, inside a tunnel sculpted out of the rock.
 
The lions can be viewed going up the hill to the top platform from the side of the enclosure, as far as i am aware the tigers do not have an outdoor off-show area
 
:rolleyes:It is unlikley they are getting pandas, romurs say that they are getting them for popuality over conservation
 
Cat-Man said:
:rolleyes:It is unlikley they are getting pandas, romurs say that they are getting them for popuality over conservation
Click to expand...

They've had very advanced talks with Chinese officials already (deal may have been signed, not sure about that though).

Just because some animal liberation groups (which is where the rumours come from) don't like the idea, doesn't mean the whole plan will be abandoned. Anyway, a proportion of the money that Edinburgh make will have to go back into Chinese conservation (look at the projects that they have going for Chimpanzees based on the Budongo exhibit).

Also, any zoo obtaining a high-profile species, is doing it for the popularity. The popular species attract more guests, which attract more money, which keeps these zoos afloat and contributes to conservation schemes.
 
CZJimmy said:
They've had very advanced talks with Chinese officials already (deal may have been signed, not sure about that though).

Just because some animal liberation groups (which is where the rumours come from) don't like the idea, doesn't mean the whole plan will be abandoned.
Click to expand...

You're right. It won't make any difference whatsoever. If they're going to get Pandas, they're going to get Pandas, if they're not, they're not. I'm sure that the views of any Animal Liberation groups won't enter the equation at all....:)
 
I wish they would listen to the activists in some cases though, like the whole situation with Mercedes.
 
ashley-h said:
I wish they would listen to the activists in some cases though, like the whole situation with Mercedes.
Click to expand...

She's a rather different situation to the Pandas though-even in an existing enclosure they would get something which was specially modified or landscaped while rehousing Mercedes is a lot more difficult plus she's very old etc. Frankly I'm surprised she's still alive. Edinburgh is the very last Uk zoo to have had to face critisism over Polar Bears. I'm really not sure what they can do....what do the Animal Libbers suggest should be done?
 
yeh she used to be kept with a male who suffocated on a child's toy a few years ago, I don't think she's ever bred though, but could be wrong
 
Mercedes has had two cubs. One of them was used on the fox's glacier mints logo :)
 
Yes, I think his name was Barney, and he was born at Whipsnade.
I think the young one called Minty (who did the foxes glacier thing) got sent to Antwerp, which apparently had appalling conditions for the polar bears, much to the disgust of born free and that :-S
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top