Undoubtably, but if it saves them it saves them!
Edinburgh Zoo Edinburgh Zoo News 2023
- Thread starter Quincey
- Start date
Given pandas are politics and PR and politics and PR are the Chinese Communistic Party pandas will not be allowed to go extinct (even if they wanted it themselves) by China. It is nice that part of the costs are donated by foreign zoos, but it is something China would have done anyway.
Lafone
Well-Known Member
All in all captive pandas and their return ha
They do miss the mark it’s one of the things that means there are larger numbers of good arguments for good zoos than against them.
I do think it is a shame the pandas are leaving the U.K. and that it’s such a weird arrangement with a country like China in the first place. Sad to think people won’t be able to see them here.
They do miss the mark it’s one of the things that means there are larger numbers of good arguments for good zoos than against them.
I do think it is a shame the pandas are leaving the U.K. and that it’s such a weird arrangement with a country like China in the first place. Sad to think people won’t be able to see them here.
GeeZee
Well-Known Member
It is indeed a real shame, in terms of political magnitude as well it’s a bit like the handover of Hong Kong. I hope I am wrong, but I genuinely fear we will never see pandas again in the UK.
felis silvestris
Well-Known Member
If I am being honest, I feel they are very expensive, can cause damage to the rest of a zoo’s finances and can be replaced with equally as entertaining and interesting species for much less. I honestly don’t want pandas to come back to zoos for a long time. I found all the panda stuff a bit annoying and stupid anyway. I always preferred the other animals over the pandas.
GeeZee
Well-Known Member
Each to their own but I honestly don’t believe any other animal generates as much interest and engagement as pandas would.
Animals such as Lions , Giraffes , Chimpanzees are all wonderful, but there’s a reason why there isn’t as much public and media interest in them and the queues I’ve seen to the panda enclosure I could never imagine anywhere else, as well as the reactions from people - that is one of things that truly makes pandas unique.
The only other animal that may come close (in the mainstream sphere) would be an elephant, and the most notable of those would be Wendy at Bristol Zoo who died in 2002 & even then I don’t believe she had as much public following.
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ZooTripper365
Well-Known Member
The pandas are officially over the Chinese border and are beginning their descent into Chengdu! I truly wish them both the best in their new life over seas.
Strathmorezoo
Well-Known Member
I have to agree, I've only seen pandas at London Zoo Chi Chi in the 1960s and 3 days before she died plus Ming Ming and Mao Mao in 1991 and on each occasion the queue was enormous
There is an enclosure that used to house Rockhopper Penguins in the 90s then ducks, just along from the wildcats and the old big cat walk. I wonder if it could be repurposed for an exciting reptile like the galapogas marine iguana which hasn't been seen in the UK since London Zoo
Chi Chi died in 1972 I think and the 1991 male panda was Bad Bao on loan from Berlin where he returned and died 20 plus years later. Not a criticism just thought this needed amending
Lafone
Well-Known Member
I only saw Giant Pandas once, in SanDiego on my only visit there a good few years ago. I stayed for a few days after some training and went to the zoo in headline making rain (it was all over the news and the door chap in the hotel advised me against venturing out, I was able to reassure him I was essentially born to it) and there was practically no one there; a couple of school trips with little kids draped in huge plastic sheets with the zoo logo on and some other mad UK folk I kept bumping into.
I went to the panda enclosure and there was a neat line to queue in, all ropes and weaving about to manage the vast numbers, with signs saying I was nearing the pandas, nearing, nearly etc. No queue at all however so I navigated around the ropes like a dog in an obedience class, all alone and rocked up to a panda covered in dirt, having a nap. It was still a treat to see one. The highlight of my day was when I got to the elephants though and the keepers took me in to see them having a foot examination and a cabbage (completely out of the blue after I got chatting to one of the keepers, I'd never been in an elephant off show area before or since, it was amazing), so the pandas got gazumped as my wonder of the day I am afraid.
I'd say for a zoo or animal fan, the buzz you get from an unusual animal (shoebill anyone?) is consistent and that's how the giant panda was for me. But the public do go nuts for them, the hype, the cuteness, the bamboo munching. Draw animals capture a visitor and giant pandas have the 'it' factor. But other animals do too as evidenced from no other zoo in the UK having them but still having loads of visitors.
I went to the panda enclosure and there was a neat line to queue in, all ropes and weaving about to manage the vast numbers, with signs saying I was nearing the pandas, nearing, nearly etc. No queue at all however so I navigated around the ropes like a dog in an obedience class, all alone and rocked up to a panda covered in dirt, having a nap. It was still a treat to see one. The highlight of my day was when I got to the elephants though and the keepers took me in to see them having a foot examination and a cabbage (completely out of the blue after I got chatting to one of the keepers, I'd never been in an elephant off show area before or since, it was amazing), so the pandas got gazumped as my wonder of the day I am afraid.
I'd say for a zoo or animal fan, the buzz you get from an unusual animal (shoebill anyone?) is consistent and that's how the giant panda was for me. But the public do go nuts for them, the hype, the cuteness, the bamboo munching. Draw animals capture a visitor and giant pandas have the 'it' factor. But other animals do too as evidenced from no other zoo in the UK having them but still having loads of visitors.
I have only seen pandas twice.
I made the trip to Edinburgh in '16 to see them, and I recall this was around the time when you still needed to book 'panda tickets' to see them. I recall at the end of the visitor pathway the male panda was found - much to my excitement. Chewing on bamboo, facing away a bit from the glass, he eventually walked off to his house.
And also in Berlin in '22. I recall around mid-day the pandas were doing perhaps the thing they do best - sleep. I came back later at the end of the day to find the other thing they do best - chew - but unfortunately away from the glass.
It's incorrect to say that marine iguanas haven't been seen in the UK since London Zoo had them.
London Zoo's last marine iguana died in 1934: Belle Vue (Manchester) had very short lived marine iguanas thirty years later in 1964.
ZooTripper365
Well-Known Member
The pandas have just landed at the airport mere moments ago!
I think it is more likely for them to get flying pigs than marine iguanas...
I saw an exhibit for them at London Zoo's reptile house in 1996 but they were off show for breeding. It was one of the biggest tanks at the far end from where you go in.
