Giant Pandas » Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

Giant Pandas
19-05-2007

It looks like from the report in todays newspaper that a pair of Giant Pandas May be coming to the Currumbin wildlife Sanctuary, WOW

19-05-2007

how does everyone else feel about this one???

19-05-2007

What do you mean Glyn?

19-05-2007

well id just be interested to know what other forum members position on this topic is? in the past, transfers of giant pandas have been quite controversial. i think the fact that currumbin is not-for-profit indicates its not selling out, i think this might be a good thing if it ACTUALLY happens.

19-05-2007

Glyn from the paper reports they are going to build a Chinese showcase at Currumbin Sanctuary featuring Chinese animals including the Golden monkeys and to form a Koala - Panda research and conservatinon partnership, if it helps lift the profile of Endangered species in both Countrys I think its a good thing.

19-05-2007

That's got to be the biggest load of rubbish I've heard in ages, if it is true. "Currumbin Sanctuary - native willdlife, oh, and Chinese Pandas". Currumbin is hardly noted for it's excess research resources, nor its excessive amount of experienced keepers, and last I heard, was falling very short of money.

Funily enough, they don't list Giant Pandas in their collection plan - must have been a spur of the moment decision.

Hmmmm. methinks there's a buck to be made there, what a coincidence. I hope the Chinese pandas enjoy the warm temperatures of the Gold Coast.

Oh, and Mark, last I heard, Koalas are not endangered.

19-05-2007

This is what I expected you to say mate, this is front page news here in Queensland today. If they do want them then good on them, So you think the Gold coast might be to warm for them, well the San Diego zoo is a warm place and they seem to be going fine over there and breeding too SO what is your problem? or are you just a BORN nit picker?.

OH and Zoopro last I heard they announced here in Queensland Koalas were an Endangered species.

19-05-2007

With Australia Zoo drawing a lot of attention in Queensland and having to compete against the Gold Coast theme parks,I can understand Currumbim trying to gain a major draw card. I wish them all the luck in the world for having a go.

19-05-2007

wow this sounds great, but as there always is a but, there is so much money invloved, espec in building facilities

where would currumbin get the money

this is actually big news, can anyone find some articles on the net, i need to read more before i say much

maybe its was a mistake, red pandas and not giant (not you mark, i belive you, and yes it would make front page!)

19-05-2007

Pandas heading for koala country
19May07

A PUSH is on to bring Chinese wildlife to the Gold Coast, including the endangered giant panda.

The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary has forged an agreement with the giant Chime-Long group of companies in southern China, which runs the world-class Xiangjiang Safari Park near Guangzhou, that will see an immediate start to setting up a Chinese exhibit at Currumbin.

However, final approval for Chinese fauna to be leased to the Gold Coast wildlife park for education, display and breeding has to come from the Australian and Chinese governments and that will involve a mountain of red tape to work through.

"I can't stress enough how hard this is going to be," said Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary CEO Michelle Monsour yesterday.

"It's a very, very hard process but both organisations are totally committed to achieving this.

"We have a very good relationship on a zoological level. We want that relationship to extend to our countries' leaders."

Currumbin has had significant input into the establishment of an Australian precinct at the Xiangjiang park, including the provision of six adult koalas last year that have since produced four offspring, including rare twin joeys that were publicly revealed to the world for the first time this week.

The joeys have sparked huge interest in China, with curious crowds lining up to see them in a special Australian wildlife education centre where Currumbin-based experts have been working to train Chinese wildlife carers and ensure the animals' survival.

The agreement, negotiated between the wildlife organisations this week, involves three projects -- the Chinese exhibit at Currumbin, an expansion of the Australian exhibit at Xiangjiang and the exchange of animals, with wombats and a wider variety of kangaroos joining the koalas in China and, assuming government protocols can be met, China providing giant pandas and possibly other species, including red pandas.

Currumbin would also like to exhibit the endangered golden monkey, but Ms Monsour said that would be more difficult than negotiating for pandas.

She has a strong ally in Chime-Long president Su Zhigang, whose significant business and government contacts -- he is a congressman -- should assist with government negotiations.

Ms Monsour said it was too early to put a timeline on the project or to say how much it would cost, but she acknowledged there would be significant commercial returns and tourism benefits.

With Currumbin a not-for-profit organisation, returns would be used to fund field research in Australia and China on specific projects, the establishment of research facilities in both countries to ensure the survival of koalas and pandas through artificial insemination, and the creation of wildlife science centres to educate the people of both countries.

"The most important aspect of this is that we will establish a fund for Australian-Chinese wildlife conservation," she said.

At Xiangjiang, the public is able to get close to pandas and other endangered species in the multimilliondollar exhibits.

Currumbin plans to establish a Chinese experience rather than a zoo exhibit, with Ms Monsour talking about the creation of a Chinese garden and cultural elements to complement the animal viewing area.

With approaches now being made to governments in both countries, Ms Monsour was preparing for a mountain of paperwork.

Sources suggested the proposal would be discussed at the highest government levels, possibly even between Chinese president Hu Jintao and Prime Minister John Howard when APEC meets in Australia later this year, but Ms Monsour refused to speculate on that or the timing.

"The amount of red tape and government protocol we have to go through is significant, it's quite extreme, but I believe we've set a very, very strong platform to be able to achieve this," she said.

"It can't be just about a commercial arrangement. It has to be about giving something back to both the people and the country.

"We jumped into this (the koalas to China project) knowing it wasn't just a koala transfer, that it was a long-term relationship and development.

"Now, we'd like to do that in Australia too. The two countries are becoming closer and closer. Australians need to understand Chinese culture as well."

Currumbin would also be approaching the governments and the Olympic movement about the Xiangjiang koalas being exhibited at the Beijing Olympics next year.

19-05-2007

thats right, lots of red tape, wouldnt be suprised if it would be 2 or 3 yrs away yet, but jeez this is huge, i mean this is HUGE for australian zoos

would this be a permenat arrangement, if so this really is huge, i am reading through stuff on net now, and it seems to be a very big thing, as mark said front page

19-05-2007

I'm not disputing that, the proposal has been around for a while.

I'm glad you think I'm so predictable Mark. It's a pity though that you have no idea about me or what my thoughts are.

My concerns are many. For a start, last year, Currumbin Sanctuary was on the verge of closing, as it's finances were reportedly incredibly low, and visitation was also very low. I'm wondering just how they are going to afford to build appropriate facilities for pandas, pay for the importation, and outlay appropriate salaries for some decent researchers? Maybe they made enough from their last sale of koalas, or perhaps there's another sale on the horizon?

Most of the major zoos in the world these days frown upon giant pandas being moved from China to overseas institutions. Almost always (with a few notable exceptions), this is a fund-raising exercise. Granted, it's also an awareness-raising exercise, but as for research? I'm curious about what research on giant pandas Currumbin Sanctuary can offer, that can't be done in the species range country, and that hasn't already been done by San Diego et al? Most zoos would prefer to see research done in the range country, and instead of bringing pandas into a less than ideal situation, opt for sending conservation funds, research staff, and other resources to the range state.

Past experience at Melbourne, Taronga and Auckland Zoos has shown that for short-term loans of pandas, visitation skyrockets during the period the animals are there, and then falls well below average for a period after the visit. Having worked at Melbourne Zoo through the period of the panda visit there, I'm speaking with first-hand knowledge of this. I suspect that if Currumbin is successful in obtaining permits to import the species, their attendance will also jump dramatically, but overall, I doubt that they'll make a fortune out of the animals, especially when you also include the cost of providing suitable facilities and employing additional staff.

The IUCN 2006 Red List:

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Phascolarctos cinereus

lists koalas as Lower Risk: "A taxon is Lower Risk when it has been evaluated, does not satisfy the criteria for any of the categories Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable."

and the Australian Government National Koala Conservation Strategy:

National Koala Conservation Strategy

states: "While it is still relatively abundant and widespread on a national basis and does not meet national criteria for listing as endangered or vulnerable at this time..." and "In Queensland, they occur throughout most of their range and there are regions where the population is stable, although the overall koala population is probably declining due to continued clearing and fragmentation of woodland and forest."

Your main concerns from your previous posts however, appear to be that whatever species Queensland zoos can get, so they are handy for you to go and see, is a good thing. In my opinion that is a little narrow-minded.

Of course you are entitled to your opinion, but I'm afraid that this comment doesn't warrant much of an answer from me. If your take on my contributions to this forum is that I'm a born nit picker, I'm comfortable with that. We can't all agree with each other all the time.

19-05-2007

zoopro, as i ahve read, the billionaire dude, wants to repay the zoo fro its skyrocketing visiotr numbers, i am guessing he will fit part of the expansion at currumbin, and now for politics, john will do anything to get onside with china, so this may be a bigger issue still in a poltical sense, and pandas and koalas being used as abrgining tools

19-05-2007

i dont really have as much of a problem with this as zoopro, mainly because i dont think it will actually happen
sorry to be cynical Mark, but there are enough precedents of failed panda pipe dreams around the world, the most recent probably being some britsh billionaires ultimately doomed push to have giant pandas reinstated as a permanent zoo exhibit to make me think this isnt going anywhere. theres not even a regional imperative, as there was with the elephant saga to get these pandas here, although there are probably lots of commercial organisations lining up to pledge their interests in conservation.

if this was Australia Zoo negotiating this import i'd find it a bit more credible. only because of the extra money they have behind them. it wasnt that long ago that currumbin was flogging off blocks of land to try and pay off is debts. as it is, i just cant see it happening. if currumbin sanctuary so desperately wants pandas, why not acquire 'Queenslands only pair of red pandas', and participate in a regionally managed program? and finally, throughout 2006, there was review after review after 'we cant afford them anymore' pleas from the US zoos who wanted to renegotiate the terms of their panda loan scheme.
as none of us on this forum know the particular terms and conditions of any loan, its kind of useless to speculate about the financial side of things, but ill try anyway, and i feel that unless us Aussies score a cheaper deal than the yanks, it makes me wonder how a wildlife park based out of our country's third largest city is going to balance the books if zoos in metropolisis' the size of atlanta US cant.
just a thought. or two or three

19-05-2007

why is it that queensland zoos and sanctuaries always seem to illicit the most heated responses on this forum.
tigers, polar bears, giant pandas, steve irwin. lion cubs in shopping malls. you guys need a state run zoo