Auckland Zoo Giant Panda discussion and speculation

[Zoofan15]

Auckland Council in talks about Giant pandas for Auckland Zoo:

Well this would be a more exciting replacement for elephants that an extension to the rhinoceros exhibit!

Some unexpected news that Mayor Wayne Brown has proposed a plan to bring Giant pandas to Auckland Zoo, at an estimated cost of $25 million.

This isn’t the first time Giant pandas have been considered for New Zealand. In 2010, John Key proposed acquiring a pair which ultimately did not progress further than discussion.

I note these talks are preliminary and due to the cost of loaning pandas, unlikely to progress beyond the boardroom discussion table. Previous articles imply ratepayers would be footing the bill and there was significant opposition to $13.5 million plan to establish a herd of elephants, which makes it unlikely this will win support. Nonetheless, it’s something interesting to consider.

This is the source (behind a paywall, so can’t read most of it):

Council may seek $25m to bring panda pair to Auckland Zoo

Auckland Council is in behind-the-scenes talks to lease pandas from Chinas – but the five-year deal first must cross cost, conservation and geopolitical hurdles.

 

[ElephasMaximus]

Auckland Council in talks about Giant pandas for Auckland Zoo:

Well this would be a more exciting replacement for elephants that an extension to the rhinoceros exhibit!

Some unexpected news that Mayor Wayne Brown has proposed a plan to bring Giant pandas to Auckland Zoo, at an estimated cost of $25 million.

This isn’t the first time Giant pandas have been considered for New Zealand. In 2010, John Key proposed acquiring a pair which ultimately did not progress further than discussion.

I note these talks are preliminary and due to the cost of loaning pandas, unlikely to progress beyond the boardroom discussion table. Previous articles imply ratepayers would be footing the bill and there was significant opposition to $13.5 million plan to establish a herd of elephants, which makes it unlikely this will win support. Nonetheless, it’s something interesting to consider.

This is the source (behind a paywall, so can’t read most of it):

Council may seek $25m to bring panda pair to Auckland Zoo

Auckland Council is in behind-the-scenes talks to lease pandas from Chinas – but the five-year deal first must cross cost, conservation and geopolitical hurdles.

The article's paywalled unfortunately, but this is really interesting! I remember when I was a kid there were loose plans to bring pandas to Wellington Zoo, but nothing ever came of it, I believe for financial reasons. I still think Wellington would be a better place for pandas in most regards - it's the capital and a centre of diplomacy, the climate's much more suitable, and Wellington Zoo already has a number of Himalayan/East Asian species, so giant pandas would be a better fit than in Auckland Zoo's Southeast Asian precinct - but Auckland Zoo and Auckland's city council are probably in a much better financial situation to house giant pandas, and either way I'm not about to complain about NZ having a chance of housing the species

If this deal does go through, I wonder if Auckland would house them in the old elephant enclosure? I'm not sure where else the zoo would have space for them. With luck, the city council will make a decision before Auckland Zoo gets too far along with the planned renovations.

 

[Zoofan15]

The article's paywalled unfortunately, but this is really interesting! I remember when I was a kid there were loose plans to bring pandas to Wellington Zoo, but nothing ever came of it, I believe for financial reasons. I still think Wellington would be a better place for pandas in most regards - it's the capital and a centre of diplomacy, the climate's much more suitable, and Wellington Zoo already has a number of Himalayan/East Asian species, so giant pandas would be a better fit than in Auckland Zoo's Southeast Asian precinct - but Auckland Zoo and Auckland's city council are probably in a much better financial situation to house giant pandas, and either way I'm not about to complain about NZ having a chance of housing the species

If this deal does go through, I wonder if Auckland would house them in the old elephant enclosure? I'm not sure where else the zoo would have space for them. With luck, the city council will make a decision before Auckland Zoo gets too far along with the planned renovations.

Prime Minister John Key was very passionate about New Zealand loaning a pair of Giant pandas from China, with Auckland Zoo and Wellington Zoo being the natural choices at the time. While I agree they’d be a nice addition to Wellington Zoo, it took over a decade to get the Snow leopard exhibit through (with significant ratepayer opposition to the Council’s contribution). I can’t see Giant panda being a feasible option.

Auckland Zoo receives the highest number of international visitors per year out of all four of New Zealand’s main zoos. While Wellington is the capital, Auckland is very much the main gateway to New Zealand and so Auckland (also readily accessible to the Waikato and Bay of Plenty domestic tourism market) would undoubtedly be the best fit.

The elephant exhibit is realistically the only place a Giant panda complex could go due to space limitations. Phase out of the elephants was first debated in the late 2000’s, with the then Director mentioning a gorilla group as an example of a flagship attraction of equivalent value to the elephants. Giant panda would undoubtedly meet this mark - with the complex functioning as sub-precinct as the elephant exhibit did (i.e there’d be no need for it to compliment other species at the zoo).

 

[ElephasMaximus]

Prime Minister John Key was very passionate about New Zealand loaning a pair of Giant pandas from China, with Auckland Zoo and Wellington Zoo being the natural choices at the time. While I agree they’d be a nice addition to Wellington Zoo, it took over a decade to get the Snow leopard exhibit through (with significant ratepayer opposition to the Council’s contribution). I can’t see Giant panda being a feasible option.

Auckland Zoo receives the highest number of international visitors per year out of all four of New Zealand’s main zoos. While Wellington is the capital, Auckland is very much the main gateway to New Zealand and so Auckland (also readily accessible to the Waikato and Bay of Plenty domestic tourism market) would undoubtedly be the best fit.

The elephant exhibit is realistically the only place a Giant panda complex could go due to space limitations. Phase out of the elephants was first debated in the late 2000’s, with the then Director mentioning a gorilla group as an example of a flagship attraction of equivalent value to the elephants. Giant panda would undoubtedly meet this mark - with the complex functioning as sub-precinct as the elephant exhibit did (i.e there’d be no need for it to compliment other species at the zoo).

I'm not sure if Auckland has any room for whole East Asia precinct rather than just a panda enclosure, but we have access to a number of East Asian species in this country already. Red pandas are found in almost every zoo, many pheasant species are available from private aviculture, and Himalayan Tahr and yaks are found on private farms. One really intriguing possibility is Pere David's Deer - there's a herd of about 70 on Mt Hutt station, and I'm genuinely surprised no zoo in the country has ever tried to get a hold of some. The station allows limited hunting of the species to private individuals, so I'm sure they'd be willing to sell some to a zoo. If not, sika deer would be a good substitute. Snow Leopards and white-cheeked gibbons are already present in the country, but in very small numbers, so if Auckland wanted any they'd have to import. Species not currently present in NZ but allowed for import include lesser chevrotains, golden cats and clouded leopards (which Hamilton seems to be interested in).

There almost certainly wouldn't be enough room for all of these in the old elephant enclosure, and there might not be enough room for anything other than pandas; still, if Auckland wanted a fully-fleshed out East Asian precinct, they've got a lot of options!

 

[Jambo]

I'm not sure if Auckland has any room for whole East Asia precinct rather than just a panda enclosure, but we have access to a number of East Asian species in this country already. Red pandas are found in almost every zoo, many pheasant species are available from private aviculture, and Himalayan Tahr and yaks are found on private farms. One really intriguing possibility is Pere David's Deer - there's a herd of about 70 on Mt Hutt station, and I'm genuinely surprised no zoo in the country has ever tried to get a hold of some. The station allows limited hunting of the species to private individuals, so I'm sure they'd be willing to sell some to a zoo. If not, sika deer would be a good substitute. Snow Leopards and white-cheeked gibbons are already present in the country, but in very small numbers, so if Auckland wanted any they'd have to import. Species not currently present in NZ but allowed for import include lesser chevrotains, golden cats and clouded leopards (which Hamilton seems to be interested in).

There almost certainly wouldn't be enough room for all of these in the old elephant enclosure, and there might not be enough room for anything other than pandas; still, if Auckland wanted a fully-fleshed out East Asian precinct, they've got a lot of options!

I guess another potential Panda enclosure that comes to mind is the former Tiger exhibit that currently holds Ring Tailed Lemurs.

It's conveniently located next to the on display Red Panda exhibit and they even have the old Otter exhibit next door too which could be converted to a mini aviary too for species like pheasants.

I do like your idea though, but I'm struggling to see where the space would be for something on that scale.

 

[Zoofan15]

I'm not sure if Auckland has any room for whole East Asia precinct rather than just a panda enclosure, but we have access to a number of East Asian species in this country already. Red pandas are found in almost every zoo, many pheasant species are available from private aviculture, and Himalayan Tahr and yaks are found on private farms. One really intriguing possibility is Pere David's Deer - there's a herd of about 70 on Mt Hutt station, and I'm genuinely surprised no zoo in the country has ever tried to get a hold of some. The station allows limited hunting of the species to private individuals, so I'm sure they'd be willing to sell some to a zoo. If not, sika deer would be a good substitute. Snow Leopards and white-cheeked gibbons are already present in the country, but in very small numbers, so if Auckland wanted any they'd have to import. Species not currently present in NZ but allowed for import include lesser chevrotains, golden cats and clouded leopards (which Hamilton seems to be interested in).

There almost certainly wouldn't be enough room for all of these in the old elephant enclosure, and there might not be enough room for anything other than pandas; still, if Auckland wanted a fully-fleshed out East Asian precinct, they've got a lot of options!

There’d definitely be value in linking red panda exhibits to a Giant panda complex. While it’s important to note Australasian zoos hold the Nepalese red panda (Nepal is South Asia) not the Chinese panda; Adelaide Zoo hold these species is adjacent exhibits and nobody visiting gives the geographical distinction a second thought.

A number of the species you mention are from South East Asia or South Asia and while (as with the Nepalese red panda), I wouldn’t expect that to concern the general public; I think ultimately space constraints and above all else, money, would limit the ambitions to a panda complex as a standalone attraction - with two exhibits for a male and female (plus a day room). That’s if it even goes ahead.

 

[Jambo]

There’d definitely be value in linking red panda exhibits to a Giant panda complex. While it’s important to note Australasian zoos hold the Nepalese red panda (Nepal is South Asia) not the Chinese panda; Adelaide Zoo hold these species is adjacent exhibit and nobody visiting gives the geographical distinction a second thought.

A number of the species you mention are South East Asia or South Asia and while (as with the Nepalese red panda), I wouldn’t expect that to concern the general public; I think ultimately space constraints and above all else, money, would limit the ambitions to a panda complex as a standalone attraction - with two exhibits for a male and female (plus a day room). That’s if it even goes ahead.

Nepal is located right next to China so I don't think it really matters that much tbh. A lot of zoos worldwide actually display Nepalese Red Panda next to Giant Pandas. So to be fair, it's not much of a geographical theming concern in the eyes of most.

 

[ElephasMaximus]

There’d definitely be value in linking red panda exhibits to a Giant panda complex. While it’s important to note Australasian zoos hold the Nepalese red panda (Nepal is South Asia) not the Chinese panda; Adelaide Zoo hold these species is adjacent exhibits and nobody visiting gives the geographical distinction a second thought.

A number of the species you mention are from South East Asia or South Asia and while (as with the Nepalese red panda), I wouldn’t expect that to concern the general public; I think ultimately space constraints and above all else, money, would limit the ambitions to a panda complex as a standalone attraction - with two exhibits for a male and female (plus a day room). That’s if it even goes ahead.

Yeah, I was putting the cart a little before the horse

The species I mentioned were mostly just species I found on the List of Mammals of China page on wikipedia, and I suppose a lot of them wouldn't naturally live alongside pandas; China's a big place.

If it does go through, I do agree that red pandas are the only species Auckland is likely to exhibit alongside their giant namesakes. I suspect a lot of the others would be badly overshadowed anyway, except maybe the snow leopards.

 

[ElephasMaximus]

Nepal is located right next to China so I don't think it really matters that much tbh. A lot of zoos worldwide actually display Nepalese Red Panda next to Giant Pandas. So to be fair, it's not much of a geographical theming concern in the eyes of most.

Plus modern borders don't always line up neatly with biogeographic regions.

 

[Zoofan15]

Yeah, I was putting the cart a little before the horse

The species I mentioned were mostly just species I found on the List of Mammals of China page on wikipedia, and I suppose a lot of them wouldn't naturally live alongside pandas; China's a big place.

If it does go through, I do agree that red pandas are the only species Auckland is likely to exhibit alongside their giant namesakes. I suspect a lot of the others would be badly overshadowed anyway, except maybe the snow leopards.

Snow leopards would be another great addition, but ultimately money will be the limiting factor here. $25 million is a massive investment to get over the line and I would be amazed if that happened - let alone anything more ambitious.

These talks have come to nothing countless times before, but I would be thrilled to see them result in Auckland Zoo acquiring a pair of Giant pandas and become the second holder in the region. I can only imagine the friendly competition between Auckland and Adelaide in who can produce the region’s first Giant panda cub.

 

[ElephasMaximus]

The $25 million bill attached to the pandas is huge, but I wonder if Auckland will be more open to the expedenture now that they've lost one of their major revenue streams (i.e. Burma). The initial outlay could be considerable, but long-term it could a great way to boost visitor numbers after the loss of an elephant, one of the only animals with the same draw to the general public as pandas.

 

[Jambo]

The $25 million bill attached to the pandas is huge, but I wonder if Auckland will be more open to the expedenture now that they've lost one of their major revenue streams (i.e. Burma). The initial outlay could be considerable, but long-term it could a great way to boost visitor numbers after the loss of an elephant, one of the only animals with the same draw to the general public as pandas.

Elephants are a sizeable investment for any zoo, so without them Auckland may be more inclined to consider the possibility of Giant Pandas with some additional money no longer having to be put towards the Elephants.

Still it's a huge expenditure, and the council will need to ultimately decide whether it's worth it. I personally can see the positives - I know a lot of people who've never seen a Panda and would surely jump at the chances of getting to see one at Auckland.

 

[Zoofan15]

The $25 million bill attached to the pandas is huge, but I wonder if Auckland will be more open to the expedenture now that they've lost one of their major revenue streams (i.e. Burma). The initial outlay could be considerable, but long-term it could a great way to boost visitor numbers after the loss of an elephant, one of the only animals with the same draw to the general public as pandas.

Elephants are a sizeable investment for any zoo, so without them Auckland may be more inclined to consider the possibility of Giant Pandas with some additional money no longer having to be put towards the Elephants.

Still it's a huge expenditure, and the council will need to ultimately decide whether it's worth it. I personally can see the positives - I know a lot of people who've never seen a Panda and would surely jump at the chances of getting to see one at Auckland.

Giant panda have only been held once in New Zealand - a three month visit of Xiao Xiao and Fei Fei to Auckland Zoo during the summer of 1989 and it was a huge success.

While acknowledging the novelty factor and limited time offer to see them was a driving force behind the astronomical surge in visitation, I don’t doubt pandas at Auckland Zoo would be a success over a 5-10 year period. Beyond that (especially if they don’t breed) and it’s easy to see the novelty wearing off as visitor numbers suggest it has at Adelaide.

In the three months Xiao Xiao and Fei Fei were at Auckland Zoo in 1988-1989, 300,000 people visited them.

In the first six months of Wang Wang and Funi’s arrival at Adelaide Zoo, 328,000 people visited the zoo. However, since Xing Qui and Yi Lan went on display in January 2025, only 47,000 people have visited the zoo.