Wellington Zoo pandas for New Zealand?

"And I am sure Napier would get behind it ... It is better than just plonking them in a zoo in Wellington or Auckland where they would just be a cash cow."

Great insights from the Rotary Club there... If anything they'd be a cash cow in Napier in a glorified sideshow from what they seem to be proposing.

I'd much prefer them to presented in the context of a serious conservation and education focused zoo than in some kind of panda theme park.

 

Next thing you know Otorohanga council will probably join in!

LOL



Hix

 

NZ Panda Update

Pandas not on NZ-China agenda

Story here: Pandas not on NZ-China agenda | Stuff.co.nz

 

Why would Auckland Zoo decline?

 

I guess they don't really have the space for a massive panda exhibit area? And maybe wanted to focus their efforts on elephants (not that that seems to be working particularly well).

In terms of other zoos who could get them, personally I think Wellington would be best, but I'm not sure exactly where they would go, possibly where the tiger enclosures are? There is spare space behind that area that could be used.

Orana and Hamilton both have the space, but not really the finances or visitors to support pandas, and I don't think there are any other options that should be considered.

 

I think its a good decision to not pursue pandas for NZ. The costs and politics involved are ridiculous, and unless the government totally footed the entire bill I think it would push any NZ zoo into financial crisis, as seen elsewhere.

 

Interesting.

With such hype about the idea a few years ago (and recently), it's hard to see why there's such openness to the media about secrecy regarding the execution of plans which everyone was aware of.

 

The latest in the Panda saga:

Bringing pandas to the capital would be "playing with fire", Wellington Zoo's chief executive says.

Official documents reveal chief executive Karen Fifield suggested snow leopards were a safer option after a meeting with the chief executive at Taronga Zoo in Sydney left her uncomfortable with acquiring pandas.

Wellington Zoo has been investigating the practicality of getting pandas for several years – a proposal that has the personal backing of Prime Minister John Key, who says the pandas would be a great tourism boost for the capital.

Last month it was revealed Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee had delivered a Wellington City Council proposal for pandas at the zoo to the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base in Chengdu, when he travelled to China for defence-related matters.

But documents released under the Official Information Act show Fifield had concerns about the future of the zoo if it were to get pandas.

Fifield, in an email in March to Kaine Thompson, manager of the Wellington City Council's chief executive office, wrote that her meeting in Sydney had resulted in a conversation she didn't really want to hear.

"It was not a good story at all – without central government committing to lots of the ongoing costs, I think I am playing with fire with the zoo's future if we proceed."

She said Taronga was not pushing ahead with getting pandas because of the financial risk beyond the first 18 months.

"They did their own feasibility study and talked to all the US zoos which hold giant pandas. In fact San Diego Zoo tried to give theirs back to China due to ever-increasing costs, but China refused to take them," she wrote.

"Taronga predicts [capital expense] of $23m plus ... and they predict they would be $2m per annum in the red for [operating expense] beyond 18 months."

Fifield wrote that even baby pandas did not give the US zoos the visitor boost they expected.

In another email to Thompson the following day, she said: "I think we should stick to snow leopards myself, but if it does come off we could still house pandas near where the snow leopards might go."

Wellington Zoo has been pushing ahead with plans to get snow leopards from the Himalayas, providing it could secure $3m in funding.

It was hoped the animals could be on public display by September next year if everything went to plan.

The cost of bringing pandas to Wellington has been hotly debated and one city councillor, Paul Eagle, estimated it could cost $100m.

Key rubbished that estimate and has opened the door to taxpayer funding for the acquisition.

In a statement from his office, a spokeswoman said, "We haven't seen a proposal from Wellington council, but any Government contribution would be modest with the council needing to fund the bulk of the project".

But in an email to Fifield in November last year, Thompson said there was "no point doing it if [Key] is not committed to Wellington getting them and his Government paying for the bulk of it, including ongoing costs, eg bamboo provision".

Labour animal welfare spokesman Trevor Mallard said on Thursday: "The correspondence makes it very clear that the pandas have become John Key's pet project now that he's been prohibited from pulling pony tails, despite reservations from his chief of staff.

"Everyone likes pandas, but if having them comes at such a huge cost, then head should win out over heart."

According to official documents, the upper end cost estimates for the pandas include $200,000 for panda negotiations, $420,000 for investigations, $28m minimum for capital investment, $750,000 minimum for relocation, $1.27m annual costs, plus establishing a bamboo plantation for an unknown amount and unknown zoo operational costs.

Bringing pandas to Wellington could put the zoo in the red | Stuff.co.nz

 

That's perhaps the most remarkable bit of information in this entire saga. As far as I know, SD is one of the most financially solid zoos in North America (perhaps the world) and they consistently try to portray themselves as the worlds best zoo (I don't agree entirely, but they're close). Personally I don't care much for giant pandas. Many do. The "worlds best zoo" without giant pandas? It's obviously difficult to judge the accuracy of secondhand information, but if the above is true: wow.

You'd think that the ever increasing number of captive giant pandas in China would result in a lower annual "rent" price. Evidently not.