ZSL London Zoo giant pandas for London?
- Thread starter Chlidonias
- Start date
good point, i could write an essay but i will not!
couldn't the maappin terraces be used i know its been said before, but i could see it being a very good panda enclosure. the issuse abou the indoor accomodation: the mappin terraces outdoor enclosure is pretty big surely a buidling could be built actually on the enclosure as well as using the currrent existing indoor area? 
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
Actually shouldn`t you be asking does Boris know anything what he`s saying or doing,because every time i`ve sen him on Have I Got News For You he`s not had a clue whats going on!!!!
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Well Gordon Brown has been involved in the negotiations to help Edinburgh get their pandas, so they obviously feel political backing is important. On the other hand, Boris can hardly have endeared himself to the Chinese after his post-Olympics "wiff waff" speech!
YouTube - Boris Johnson Ping Pong Speech
couldn't the maappin terraces be used i know its been said before, but i could see it being a very good panda enclosure. the issuse abou the indoor accomodation: the mappin terraces outdoor enclosure is pretty big surely a buidling could be built actually on the enclosure as well as using the currrent existing indoor area?
i think the indoor facilities are small and dim if im correct?
The Mappin terraces could indeed be reconverted (at more great expense) into a great Giant Panda exhibit. One thing worth remembering though is that as Giant Pandas get older, (at least in captivity), much of their time is spent....sleeping. A very large enclosure is really no more likely to be used by them than a much smaller one will be. Whatever the enclosure, and apart from their ever- popular appearance, as adult animals they do NOT make a good zoo exhibit.
The Mappin terraces could indeed be reconverted (at more great expense) into a great Giant Panda exhibit. One thing worth remembering though is that as Giant Pandas get older, (at least in captivity), much of their time is spent....sleeping. A very large enclosure is really no more likely to be used by them than a much smaller one will be. Whatever the enclosure, and apart from their ever- popular appearance, as adult animals they do NOT make a good zoo exhibit.
still people are going to go to the zoo to see the pandas, people in americas still visit zoos to see the pandas whether they make a good exhibit or not
Yes they will still be drawn by them. Maybe disappointed to see just a black and white ball curled up asleep though. I think my above comments relate primarily to non-breeding pairs. Where there is sucessful breeding -as at San Diego- a young Panda and its mother probably make a more interesting exhibit as they stimulate activity between each other. So the secret for a more successful exhibit might be- get the Pandas to breed....
The Mappin terraces could indeed be reconverted (at more great expense) into a great Giant Panda exhibit. One thing worth remembering though is that as Giant Pandas get older, (at least in captivity), much of their time is spent....sleeping. A very large enclosure is really no more likely to be used by them than a much smaller one will be. Whatever the enclosure, and apart from their ever- popular appearance, as adult animals they do NOT make a good zoo exhibit.
could they use the mappins as a multi species exhibit as they have done before?
taun
Well-Known Member
Giant Panda loans are initially only for ten years, so any enclosure is temporary because who knows if they will stay any longer because of the financial costs.
It was rumoured in the news a year or two back that some of the US zoos would give there pandas up because they are not making any money from them and its effecting the capabilities of the zoo looking after other animals.
when i say temporary i mean 1-5 years! fingers crossed anyway
taun
Well-Known Member
I know but am just pointing out that new enclosures like RoRA & GK are designed to last a very long time.
And whats the point of spending millions of pounds on an enclosure designed for one species when it may be gone in ten year, unless they design it o its easily converted for say snowleopards?
cant see the panda to snow leopard thing, but perhaps tiger? anyway what species are they likley to exhibit eith the pandas as it seems that with most exhibits at london they exhibit smaller animals with the klarger animals, so what are they likely to exhibit with the panda?
I have previously stated that it would be possible to mix Red Pandas & Golden Monkeys with the Giants, with a himalayan goat species such as Bharal, Tahr or Markhor on the hills, with new indoor dens being built of course, in order to create a Himalayan theme.