Edinburgh Zoo giant panda plans

[Guest guest]

Edinburgh Zoo giant panda plans -

 

entertainment over conservation?

 

CAPS is working with Advocates for Animals to oppose plans by Edinburgh

Zoo to obtain giant pandas from China and put them on display in Scotland

as parts if its centenary anniversary next year. The pandas would be on

loan to Edinburgh Zoo for ten years.

 

Giant pandas have been described by the United Nations Environment

Programme as " one if not the most sought after of animals for zoos. They

are probably the biggest crowd pullers on Earth. " Only three other zoos in

Europe currently have the animals.

 

David Windmill, chief executive of the Royal Zoological Society of

Scotland, which owns Edinburgh Zoo, told the media: " This is not just an

issue for Edinburgh or even Scotland, people will come from all over the

UK to see them. " According to one newspaper: " The zoo estimates visitor

figures of around 750,000 per year could increase to more than one million

if the pandas come to Scotland. "

 

 

As well as displaying the typical behavioural problems seen in so many

animals confined in zoos, captive pandas have also become overweight and

listless and are often unable to mate normally. The birth-rate and

survival of cubs has been so poor in captivity that most are now bred by

artificial insemination.

 

 

According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) breeding success of

pandas is greater in the wild than in captivity. In their natural state,

all adult females and males appear to be involved in breeding whereas only

28% of adult pandas in captivity are breeding.

 

 

Funding of wildlife reserves and habitat preservation and restoration are

the only real way to protect these animals. The authors of a WWF report

concluded: " protecting pandas in their natural habitat is indisputably the

highest priority for conservation of this internationally known and loved,

but highly endangered species " .

 

WHAT YOU CAN DO

 

Politicians in the Scottish and Westminster Parliaments have tabled

motions opposing Edinburgh Zoo's plans to display giant pandas.

 

Please write to your MP, and your MSP if you live in Scotland, asking them

to sign the motion.

 

If you live in England, Wales or Scotland, write to your MP and ask

her/him to sign Early Day Motion 1588 - Pandas from China - tabled by Mike

Hancock MP.

 

If you do not know who your MP is, click here (you can also send an e-mail

direct to your MP from the same website). If they have already signed it,

please thank them for doing so.

 

 

If you live in Scotland, write to your MSP and ask her/him to sign Motion

S3M-1906 - Better Policies for Giant Panda Conservation, Breeding and

Welfare - tabled by Robin Harper MSP.

 

 

 

If you do not know who your MP is, click here

 

 

 

More information about our campaign can be found here.

 

 

 

Many thanks

 

 

Paul Thomas

Campaigns assistant

 

The Captive Animals' Protection Society

PO Box 4186

Manchester

M60 3ZA

Phone 0845 330 3911

 

http://www.captiveanimals.org

 

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