Edinburgh Zoo Pandamonium to hit Edinburgh! #1

Ok thanks Maguari, I guess that's commendable of Chester not to try and cash in as I'm sure they could. In situ projects are so valuable to conservation so I'm sure their work in China is every bit as useful even if it is being done away from the eye of the British public.
 
Maguari said:
Edinburgh were the zoo that wanted pandas, is all, I think.
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I think that's it too, they registed serious interest then pursued their approaches with the Chinese- 5 years of negotiations, so the man on the radio news says as I write this- and finally got a result.

I think the part about Edinburgh having the 'facilities/experience' for breeding them etc is really meaningless and just so much hype- any larger zoo that was able to properly house a Panda pair could justifiably include themselves in that category too.

I'm sure Edinburgh will experience the same old breeding problems as elsewhere and maybe have to resort to AI in the end. I rather wish the Chinese would send their pandas out as trios of 2.1.(wishful thinking), it might stimulate some more natural breeding situations.
 
Delighted to hear that the loan is now confirmed, but disappointed to hear that they will be going into a refurbished ape house, which at the moment is not one of the zoos crowning glories.
Hopefully with a bit of money and some imagination, these prizes of the zoo world can be exhibited with a bit of panache, the paying public will expect a once in a lifetime experience, hopefully RZSS can do something with this relic from the early 80's, more daylight in the indoor quarters, fill in the huge moats, even extend the paddocks into that corner of the zoo.
I always thought that the Whitson wood site was earmarked for the new exhibit, but i guess whereas the wooded, hillside enclosure would be perfect in every way, perhaps the cost of a purpose built indoor facility would be prohibitive.
Well done to all the staff involved at RZSS, it has been a long slog, but now the work really begins.
A
 
Great news! Really pleased that Britain are getting Giant pandas after 17 years (before my time.) I'll have to make a zoo visit to Scotland next year to seem my first giant pandas and polar bears! :)
 
Satan said:
This is one thing I wish Chester had tried to do.
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As Maguari mentioned, giant pandas were a species certain representatives from Chester specifically said that they did not want to get into, preferring to concentrate on in-situ conservation. This year one of Chester's primary funding and conservation campaigns will involve China - hopefully it will incorporate some way of improving the appalling animal welfare standards in that country - so had they wanted giant pandas, I'm sure that would've helped their cause.

Personally I think giant pandas are worth seeing if they're a new species to you, but they never really make for an exciting or involving exhibit so I won't be battling the crowds.
 
This is good news for all those people on here that have never seen a sleeping Black and White ball of fluff,and I will look forward to the regular updates on the sleep pattern and positions they sleep in that know doubt we will get on here once they arrive:p.But as SMR said in his post I also will not be rushing to fight the crowds to see them.
 
kiang said:
Delighted to hear that the loan is now confirmed, but disappointed to hear that they will be going into a refurbished ape house, which at the moment is not one of the zoos crowning glories.
Hopefully with a bit of money and some imagination, these prizes of the zoo world can be exhibited with a bit of panache, the paying public will expect a once in a lifetime experience, hopefully RZSS can do something with this relic from the early 80's, more daylight in the indoor quarters, fill in the huge moats, even extend the paddocks into that corner of the zoo.

Well done to all the staff involved at RZSS, it has been a long slog, but now the work really begins.
A
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I can see how the old Ape House, despite its bad design and shortcomings is basically suitable, as it has the two outdoor and two indoor enclosure for keeping them seperate when necessary. It will need considerable refurbishment to make it suitable for such VIP inhabitants now but they are obviously aware of that.
 
I was really chuffed by the news when I got it on my phone earlier today, I understand there are one or two collections still seriously persuing panda's within BIAZA, but the more the merrier as far as I'm concerned :) Edinburgh at least have the head start by several years :)
 
zoogiraffe said:
This is good news for all those people on here that have never seen a sleeping Black and White ball of fluff,and I will look forward to the regular updates on the sleep pattern and positions they sleep in that know doubt we will get on here once they arrive:p.But as SMR said in his post I also will not be rushing to fight the crowds to see them.
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I think anyone who has seen Giant pandas before won't be in any hurry to make a long journey to see them again. But for first-timers its bound to be irresistable, understandably. However, most people I know who have seen them don't have a lot to say about the experience afterwards.
 
I think it's very good news. I hope Edinburgh gets a big boost to visitor numbers. I think the old gorilla house is a good choice in the short term, although it will need quite a bit of refurbishment (the lighting in the indoor sections is poor and they will need to provide much more room for outdoor viewing) and it should be fine for quarantine etc.
However in the long term, I hope that the zoo will stick to its original plan of a purpose-built exhibit in the middle of the zoo. I hope they will not follow London's example by keeping their pandas in a monkey house long-term. They must be aiming to breed their pandas, and a panda cub might even tempt the more elderly and cynical ZooChatters (like me) to take a trip to the Athens of the North.

Alan
 
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With neither the wife or myself having ever had the chance to see a Giant Panda we would love to visit. Although it won't be until after they have been there a while.

With the agreement being signed so early in the year and the pair to be moved already identified I would imagine they would like to get them in the zoo by the end of the summer.

I realise they are not something everyone wishes to see but then Lions, Tigers etc can be just as boring.
 
I haven't heard the exact detail but I have heard that exact payments have been negotiated to a very attractive level to Edinburgh's advantage.

Why Edinburgh? Some 5 years ago China mooted that they would like to 'gift' panda's to the UK. It is very much a diplomatic move and good for diplomatic relations. Three zoo were in the running, Edinburgh, London and, I might be wrong, I think Colchester was the third. The Chinese preferred option was Edinburgh due to Edinburgh's desire to assist with increased DNA research (Edinburgh has an onsite DNA lab that can also work in animals forensics) and panda dentistry with a large input from one of the world's leading animal dentists just so happens to live about 30 or so miles from the zoo!

My understanding was that the long term plan was for the Chinese goral to move, possibly to HWP, and the pandas would move into a slightly modified area there. In addition to bamboo, climbing opportunities are a key element for any panda enclosure. It is a very natural thing for a panda to climb into a tree and sleep (hold on, we have another animal at Edinburgh that does that!)

It was announced in May 2008 that Edinburgh was the chosen zoo to house the pandas. Since then there have been many lengthy negotiations between top RZSS and the relevant panda conservation specialists and politicians alike.

As for the effect on visitor numbers at the zoo, the worst case scenario is thought to be
Year One AP (After Panda) visitor numbers shoot to 1million (break even for Edinburgh is 650,000)
Year Two AP vistor numbers dip to 900,000
Year Three AP vistor numbrs dip to 750,000
Year Four AP a cub is born, visitor numbers rocket to over 1million plus!

I don't agree that watching pandas is like watching paint dry though. That accolade goes to koalas. As many people say, Edinburgh is going to have two iconic animals that so many people love and pay huge money for their cuddly toys that are most famous for hugging trees and sleeping. Oh, the irony! You can trust that Edinburgh WILL do something special for these animals and WILL find ways of making it easier for people to see them without ridiculous queueing sytems. I'm no spokesperson for the zoo, but the more I've learnt about the zoo, and the Society in general, the more I have become convinced that theywill do the right thing for the pandas. Budongo Trail and the polar bear enclosure at HWP are the yardsticks! Best environment for the species!
 
zoogiraffe said:
This is good news for all those people on here that have never seen a sleeping Black and White ball of fluff,and I will look forward to the regular updates on the sleep pattern and positions they sleep in that know doubt we will get on here once they arrive:p.But as SMR said in his post I also will not be rushing to fight the crowds to see them.
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Pertinax said:
I think anyone who has seen Giant pandas before won't be in any hurry to make a long journey to see them again. But for first-timers its bound to be irresistable, understandably. However, most people I know who have seen them don't have a lot to say about the experience afterwards.
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Pah, grumpy old men :p

Thoroughly enjoyed my first sighting of a giant panda in Madrid Zoo, and can't wait to see them sit on their bum, munching on bamboo again. Too bad Edinburgh is almost as far away as Madrid...
 
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