Edinburgh Zoo Farewell Plans for Giant Pandas at Edinburgh Zoo

I think the only other UK zoo that is would likely take over as the 'UK panda zoo' would be Chester as they basically are the only ones that could afford them.

I will have to make a trip to Edinburgh before December as my last visit there was 2008, before the pandas. I hope they replace them with another species that is of relative European Zoo rarity, despite receiving slack sometimes for being a zo ABC animals Giant Pandas are only in 12 European zoos.

Yes Londo zoo was the last UK zoo to have Pandas, I believe they left in 1994.
 
ZooAtHome said:
I think the only other UK zoo that is would likely take over as the 'UK panda zoo' would be Chester as they basically are the only ones that could afford them.

I will have to make a trip to Edinburgh before December as my last visit there was 2008, before the pandas. I hope they replace them with another species that is of relative European Zoo rarity, despite receiving slack sometimes for being a zo ABC animals Giant Pandas are only in 12 European zoos.

Yes Londo zoo was the last UK zoo to have Pandas, I believe they left in 1994.
Click to expand...

Not that I think it would ever happen, but I wouldn't be shocked if Colchester did.
 
ZooAtHome said:
I think the only other UK zoo that is would likely take over as the 'UK panda zoo' would be Chester as they basically are the only ones that could afford them.

I will have to make a trip to Edinburgh before December as my last visit there was 2008, before the pandas. I hope they replace them with another species that is of relative European Zoo rarity, despite receiving slack sometimes for being a zo ABC animals Giant Pandas are only in 12 European zoos.

Yes Londo zoo was the last UK zoo to have Pandas, I believe they left in 1994.
Click to expand...

I doubt Chester would be interested in Panda's. Not so much the financial aspect (anything from £400,000 to £1m a year to have them, if you believe media outlets), but Chester seems to work on geographical theming and whilst there is land to build into (around the back of the Lions and that), there isn't anything that would likely work and recently when at Chester with the section that has the bears, I asked if they reckon they would get any more species of bear in the future and it was met with quite a resounding no, and that in the past they had wanted Sloth Bears, but nothing came of it, and other rumoured carnivore species in the past, were all ideas of a previous mammal curator and CEO, but changes in those departments have see many once hoped for plans changed completely.

I agree with TNT, that Colchester might be a place that would consider them in the future, as it is in a wealthy area of the country which could probably attract the visitors and the clientele to spend big bucks for experiences and so on, that they may be one day viable.

The obvious candidate would be somewhere like Port Lympne, but I doubt it is something that would interest those running the park, but they are another place that could financially make them viable.

I think for at least the foreseeable future (5-10 years), the UK will be without Giant Panda's.
 
lintworm said:
I wouldn't expect new pandas soon, they are increasingly a political tool from China, which already took a lot of lobbying from high government officials to obtain. With worsening European - Chinese relations, I wouldn't expect a lot....
Click to expand...


I agree! Just on a geo-political basis, I will be astonished if new pandas arrive in the UK any time soon.
 
GeeZee said:
I believe on the RZSS site somewhere there are the more detailed annual reports & financial statements which are quite interesting.
Click to expand...

Those *are* what I linked you to, and which you are dismissing elsewhere in your comments as incomplete and inferior to the (still unsourced) information provided by ALVA :p
 
Would be nice to see them at the zoos mentioned, considering we had to wait nearly 20 years for pandas to return after leaving London zoo I think it may be a bit longer than 10 years, given the political climate at the moment.

Still, I hope that Edinburgh demonstrated the benefits of having them as a base for other zoos to plan accordingly.
 
TeaLovingDave said:
Those *are* what I linked you to, and which you are dismissing elsewhere in your comments as incomplete and inferior to the (still unsourced) information provided by ALVA :p
Click to expand...

They aren’t unsourced, as mentioned - the RZSS figures don’t include events and things like that.
 
I allow myself to go back to the question, which animals could/should replace the giant pandas. There are a few usual suspects. However, the best replacement (and animals, that were in the plans to return to Edinburgh in future) are the grey giant trunk mice (from Asia)...
 
zoomaniac said:
I allow myself to go back to the question, which animals could/should replace the giant pandas. There are a few usual suspects. However, the best replacement (and animals, that were in the plans to return to Edinburgh in future) are the grey giant trunk mice (from Asia)...
Click to expand...

I wouldn't be surprised to see them convert it for the Sun Bears, giving them more outside space and also opening the door in the future, to have a potential breeding pair.

The current Sun Bear exhibit could then be converted for something smaller and suitable, possibly Binturong or something similar.
 
I confess that this is much more realistic (at least in the first step). But in a long term view (and comparing the attractivity of an already exhibited species to elephants for common visitors), I still think that my suggestion is the better solution;)
 
Alwaysevergreen said:
I wouldn't be surprised to see them convert it for the Sun Bears, giving them more outside space and also opening the door in the future, to have a potential breeding pair.

The current Sun Bear exhibit could then be converted for something smaller and suitable, possibly Binturong or something similar.
Click to expand...

I agree, but from the way the RZSS worded it “an entirely new species” does that mean new as in never seen in the park before? The sun bear enclosure is fairly small, it would be good for them to be in the old panda exhibit.
 
To avoid confusing: By replacement I mean only animal for animal. The new species has not to be in the same enclosure (which in my case won't make sense anyway).
 
Rajang-GOAT said:
Is there any particular reason for your thinking other than what others have already mentioned? Just interested.
Click to expand...

Colchester showed an interest when it was still up for discussion where Yang Guang & Tian Tian would go.

People don’t realise this now but back then London Zoo also expressed interest supported by none other than the London mayor at the time - Boris Johnson. Thankfully Edinburgh became the first choice.

Colchester too expressed interest at the time and had connections in Chengdu (as did London & Edinburgh) but partly it didn’t get them because Colchester didn’t have any big political backers.

Would also be nice to see them at Dublin Zoo, they had them once before, albeit briefly.
 
I wonder in this age of global economic shrinkage, if the Chinese can continue to ransom Giant Pandas to the rest of the world at their exorbitant asking prices, especially as they are such duds at breeding, outside their home ranges.
I realise the economic pros must outweigh the cons for the rest of the worlds zoos to even attempt to obtain them, but the financial aspect does seem to echo the massively corrupt bidding for various sports events, and leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
In other words, your actual conservation credentials count for nothing as opposed to your ability to be a cash cow for a very ethically challenged regime.
 
GaryA said:
I wonder in this age of global economic shrinkage, if the Chinese can continue to ransom Giant Pandas to the rest of the world at their exorbitant asking prices, especially as they are such duds at breeding, outside their home ranges.
I realise the economic pros must outweigh the cons for the rest of the worlds zoos to even attempt to obtain them, but the financial aspect does seem to echo the massively corrupt bidding for various sports events, and leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
In other words, your actual conservation credentials count for nothing as opposed to your ability to be a cash cow for a very ethically challenged regime.
Click to expand...

The economics of having pandas make them worthwhile - in spite of the additional costs.

There’s been plenty of instances of panda cubs being born outside of China, several US zoos & closer to home , Beauval & Berlin Zoos.

As for ethical regimes, I don’t think you’ll find any of those in Europe either.
 
By the way, I contacted the ALVA regarding visitor numbers and I received this response:

“All of our members are asked to provide the figures directly so they come straight from them”
 
If anything I long for a day when pandas gain independence from China's government - so that international breeding programmes can work in co-operation with the species.
Though perhaps that is a bit far off ...
 
dillotest0 said:
If anything I long for a day when pandas gain independence from China's government - so that international breeding programmes can work in co-operation with the species.
Though perhaps that is a bit far off ...
Click to expand...

Maybe so,

But at least because of Chinas efforts they are no longer an Endangered species as of 2021.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top