What if your zoo had Giant Pandas?

I recently had a dream that my home zoo (Philly zoo) had giant pandas, and they were in the bear country exhibit. So that got me thinking: what if other zoos had giant pandas? What would it be like? would you have to wait in a line like San Diego, or view them as any other animal with no restrictions like Zoo Atlanta? What do you think your home zoo would be like if they had giant pandas? (if your zoo doesn't already house them).

 

Giant Panda Exhibit at Wellington Zoo

None of the four major zoos in New Zealand exhibit them, though Auckland Zoo hosted them for 3 months during the summer of 1989 as part of a tour (which also included the Taronga Zoo and Melbourne Zoo of Australia). Here’s a short video of their visit:

Back in the Day: Giant pandas Xiao Xiao and Fei Fei get ready for Christmas

I think Giant pandas would work best at Wellington Zoo (see map below):

Wellington Zoo map

I’d propose building a Giant panda exhibit on the site of the African cheetah exhibit (next to the African lion exhibit) and relocating the two male cheetahs to the second cheetah exhibit (in between the small African cats and baboons). This exhibit hasn’t held cheetah since the last inhabitant (an ageing male) died a couple of years ago.

This site would be ideal as behind the lion and cheetah exhibits (shown as vegetation on the map) is a disused bear pit they are planning to remodel for Snow leopard. The zoo’s current East Asian area (precinct is a bit generous), which currently consists of Red panda and Himalayan monal, is also in this area and could link with new exhibits for Giant panda and Snow leopard.

I anticipate interest in the exhibit would be high, with crowd control measures needed for up to 12 months; with a reassessment on whether it is necessary to restrict visitors long term.

Merchandising should be rampant but not shameless.

 

If Pandas returned to Brookfield Zoo, I imagine they would be in the area with the old bear grottos, removing what can be seen as an eyesore, and making the area more enticing to new guests

 

For the pandas at Philadelphia zoo, I would imagine them in the rotational exhibits for all the bears but remodel it first to suit the pandas or maybe make it exclusively for the pandas. I've never really seen a multi species exhibit for pandas, so maybe, if they're not too aggressive, they could share with the sloth bears and spectacled bears? The pandas might have their own shop, or have a area in the main zooshop.

https://www.philadelphiazoo.org/Visit/Map.htm

 

Here are some pictures i found that summarize what the exhibits look like:

Credit to any zoochatters who took these photos.

 

I actually hate the idea of pandas at my home zoo...

 

Does it cheat to use a zoo that did recently have pandas once? If so, I can't use Toronto, so I'll go with African Lion Safari.

ALS would have to buy some extra land to make their panda exhibit, maybe using some the current elephant pastures; said land would probably be located on the north side by Eurasia. This would probably be one of the largest and naturalistic panda exhibits in the world, at least being a hectare or two, and for enrichment, they would plant bamboo groves throughout it. ALS would also construct a large building that would act as both an indoor viewing area, interpretive centre, and a breeding centre, able to hold up to eight pandas total. Ideally, this building could hold other endangered chinese species, like chinese giant salamanders and przewalski's horses.

 

Basically the zoo will be destroyed because they devote too much money into those cuddly bear.

 

I'd feel bad because the only place my zoo could put them would be this now unused hyena enclosure:


(photo by @Blackduiker)

Then again, if they filled in the moat this exhibit would actually be similar in size to the San Diego Zoo's giant panda exhibits. Sidenote: Am I the only one that thinks giant pandas are overrated?

 

I think they are kinda overrated, for example you never see koalas get this much attention! But giant pandas are my favorite animal, so I'm always happy when I see one.

Also in my dream, the zoo got a lot of money, so they brought back a lot of animals like elephants and new species like koalas

 

That would make it look better, and would possibly be better for the pandas.

 

Me, too. There was a NY congresswoman who tried to force either CPZ or Bronx to go into pandas against their will because she loved them so much. The zoos had to file a formal complaint to get her to stop

As for Philly, I'd hate to see the zoo phase-out their Sloth Bears, Andean Bears, and penguins for pandas... I also think it'd be a horrible investment for the zoo.

~Thylo

 

The Houston Zoo would probably have to build a whole new exhibit and viewing area for pandas. Panda exhibits are something that most zoos like to go all-out on. Perhaps they'd rearrange some exhibits so that other Chinese animals that they already have (such as the red panda) would be near the new giant panda exhibit.

 

Agreed. My home zoo is Seneca Park, and I absolutely cannot see giant pandas anywhere at that zoo. The only area that they'd fit is in the exhibits next to Rocky Coast and the new Cold Asia exhibits, and I would hate for the zoo to phase out tigers, hyenas, and grey wolf just to get enough space to hold the pandas, and potentially have to phase out other species due to loss of money.

 

I'd rather see Philly bringing back Polar Bears, expanding the yard into an unused area and utilizing a Zoo360 crossing/overhead trail. As for the penguins, I'd move them over to a brand new aviary near the Front Entrance, complete with rockwork modeled off of the Atacama desert. Giant Pandas would never be a possibility in Philadelphia. Elephants are far more likely to return. (Who knows? That could actually happen, I'd be using the Frog Parking Lot or the Tiger Parking Lot as an underground barn like the old Dierenpark Emmen)

 

I don't think any of the zoos in my state could or would keep giant pandas. The Phoenix Zoo's only bears are Andean bears, and there isn't exactly space for another species; the Wildlife World Zoo and Out of Africa probably wouldn't be able to build a proper exhibit; the Reid Park Zoo's layout wouldn't really fit for them; and Bearizona seems to only focus on North American wildlife.

 

Are you saying the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum wouldn't keep Giant Pandas?

 

Yes. Shocking, I know.

 

I would be very disappointed if any of my local zoos had pandas. Trentham Monkey Forest, Peak Wildlife Park and Chester Zoo,

 

I only will say one thing - the zoos where I saw pandas are the best zoos that I've been in. San Diego, Berlin zoo and Pairi Daiza, and also Madrid zoo that is not at the same level but still a good zoos. Pandas are not what make them excellent zoos, but if a zoo have enough money for support the political panda issue, then it will have money for have diversity of interesting species and nice enclosures.