Farewell, Hua Mei

Post by **Quicksilver** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 2:23 pm

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/02/09...l.ap/index.html

The first panda that survived after being born in the the United States is going back to China. I wish we could keep her here.

What do you guys think?

phantom · Post by **phantom** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 2:40 pm

I wish the panda could stay with us but many international species are sent to the U.S in hopes of breeding because zoos over here take better care of animals and for some reason the chances of success are higher (better exhibits or something) Remember, it is the American Zoo and Aquatic Association(AZA) that first developed Species Survival Programs(SSPs) so therefore many programs take place in American zoos and wildlife parks. In fact, in most zoos at least 25% of the animals are on loan from other zoos and countries. And the goal of many SSPs is reintroduction into the wild. In the panda's case, that means being sent home to China. We'll miss the panda but it has to happen for the species to have a better chance for the future.

Post by **Jay** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 1:51 am

Of course I wish we could keep the pandas and that pandas were not endangered. But we have to honor the agreement. The pandas are on loan; well actually, being rented. I think it is OK to have such rent agreements, although I think they are much higher priced than they should be.

The panda is not going to be reintroduced into the wild. It is going to a panda preservation center in China. I believe that is the center that has extremely good success at breeding and, more importantly, successful raising of baby pandas. Mother pandas sometimes give birth to 2 babies, but will only nurture 1. The center found that they could switch the babies throughout the day and the mother will then nurture both, appearently not realizing the babies are different.

professorpaul · Post by **professorpaul** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 5:41 am

It should also be remembered that it was the great Gerald Durrell who,a mere 30 years ago,put forwards the idea of captive breeding of rare species in the face of opposition from the zoo establishment;he was a Brit!

Im glad its not going back to Beijing Zoo,the Pandas there seem to be more for display purposes than breeding & apart from the Panda House , the new aviaries & the Aquarium it seems to be 30 years behind the west in animal care;many parts of the zoo remind me of London Zoo in the sixties!

Post by **Wally** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 10:11 am

Pandas belong to China man!

professorpaul · Post by **professorpaul** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 10:47 am

So do Pere Davids Deer & Przewalskis Wild Horses,& in an ideal world they would have survived there in the wild.Unfortunately the didnt,so we have to be grateful to the farsighted people who helped save them!

Post by **jwa1107** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 1:44 pm

there are more milu (Pere David deer) in Texas on private ranches than there are in China.

professorpaul · Post by **professorpaul** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 2:25 pm

All descended from a small herd saved by the Duke of Bedford in the early 20th Century,& later with help from the Royal Zoological Society at Whipsnade!
Guess we Brits were a few years ahead with breeding programs for endangered species (lol)

Post by **Missy** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 3:28 pm

I have never even seen a live panda. I wish OKC zoo would get one. They had Kolas recently. They did have dolphins but had to get rid of them because some died. They had a virus or bacterial infection.

professorpaul · Post by **professorpaul** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 4:06 pm

Koalas are incredibly difficult to keep outside Australia because of their diet.London Zoo had a couple a few years back.

Most responsible zoos dont keep cetaceans of any sort for performing & none yet seem to keep dolphins in natural looking tanks

Post by **Wolfyu** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 4:27 pm

I too wish that we could keep the panda, but I think the breeding/preservation center in China would be the best place for the panda, considering the place's success.

Post by **superlion** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 7:50 pm

If you want to see koalas in a zoo, go to San Diego or Oakland. Both zoos have several koalas... they're actually really well fed because eucalyptus grows like a weed in California (sometimes it seems like there are more Eucalyptus in California than in Australia)... so the zoos can grow them pretty well and landscapers, etc can bring in trimmings to the zoo of the koalas' favorite types of tree

All the pandas in US zoos are on loan from China... so be glad they're letting us have any.

Capt.Rutlinger · Post by **Capt.Rutlinger** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 10:47 am

like wally said Panda's belong in China, it's there natural habitat

professorpaul · Post by **professorpaul** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 11:20 am

& as I say,very true,but their habitat has been so devastated by encroachment that a captive breeding program is needed.Plus he got it the wrong way round,morally China belongs to the Panda,not vice versa.

Post by **superlion** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 11:47 am

In the definition of "belong to" as "pertaining to", it could really be either way. Or you could say "belong in". The panda also "belongs to" China in the sense of ownership as a national symbol. I don't know if you can stretch that to say that all individual pandas are owned by China, probably not any more than you can say that all bald eagles are owned by the United States. But really, all animals that are found within the borders of a country are protected or regulated by either laws of that country or international agreements that country has signed... so you could certainly say that wherever an animal is, it is owned by that country.