Once again, on the BBC news yesterday, pictures of 14 young Giant Panda cubs produced at one of the Chinese breeding centres, presented as an unusual visual spectacle and photo/publicity opportunity. This isn't the first time cubs have been shown like this and as the last time it happened, it raises some issues. 1. Are all these the cubs just removed from their mothers temporarily for this publicity, or are they all being handraised permanently in a 'nursery'? If so, why? Surely they aren't all '2nd twins'... 2. Given that it seems reintroductions to the wild aren't deemed feasible as so little habitat is left, are they merely being produced for profit(as was hinted in the item) to be rented out for huge sums of money, to other zoos wordwide? 4. When does Panda conservation, turn into Panda farming?
As you will be aware I am against these animals being rented out for huge sums of money to zoos. I would like to know what actually happens to this money and whose pocket it actually goes into.When reputable zoos all around the world cooperate in the breeding programmes of endangered animals and send them to other collections completely free of charge, why do you have to pay huge amounts of money for the pleasure of just renting them, at Edinburgh the first 109 adult visitors who pay full admission into the zoo every day of the week are paying just to have the privilige of having the pair of giant pandas on the premises, that is excluding the very high insurance premiums that go with it. I also wonder what will happen in the future if this zoo cannot afford to meet this extremely high rent, will it be a case of quoting a well known North East comedian, sadly no longer with us, Mr. Bobby Thompson, who during his "little waster " routine had the line , Aye keep knocking, the wood on the door is thicker than the skin on your knuckles" when not answering the door when the rent man called.!!
