Recently, the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee, USA, announced that the "national treasures" giant pandas Yaya and Lele from China will return to China in the next few months because the 20-year lease agreement signed between the park and China is about to expire.
The two giant pandas have been out at sea for 20 years, and their health has deteriorated. The zoo responded: The maintenance conditions are OK.
The zoo issued a special statement through social media, which expressed high praise for the giant pandas: Over the past 20 years, giant pandas have become an indispensable part of the Memphis Zoo. It is an honor for the city of Memphis to host incredible giant pandas. The impact of the giant panda culture on the city of Memphis will be forever remembered. The statement also emphasized that the relationship between the Memphis Zoo and the Chinese Zoo Association is "very good" and we look forward to continuing to establish a partnership in the future and reintroducing new giant pandas to Memphis.
But for giant pandas, migrating overseas is not necessarily the best destination. Take Yaya and Lele, who are about to return from overseas. Their "encounter" once triggered strong protests from animal protection organizations. According to the data, Lele was born in July 1998 and Yaya was born in August 2002. They were sent to the Memphis Zoo in 2003. In 2013, the zoo extended the ten-year contract again. However, the health condition of the two pandas was not satisfactory, so much so that the media represented by "Voice of Pandas" said that sending the giant pandas back to China was a kind of salvation.
From 2021 to 2022, in response to the concerns of netizens, the China Zoo Association actively communicated with the Memphis Zoo and conducted comprehensive physical examinations on Yaya and Lele for two consecutive years. The physical examination results showed that the two giant pandas were underweight compared to giant pandas of the same age. Lele's upper left third molar was cracked. Yaya's dental health was in good condition, but the fur on the whole body was dry and rusty, with uneven hair in some parts. There were signs of Demodex infection. There were no abnormalities in the color of the oral mucosa and teeth.
Netizens’ attention mainly focused on Yaya’s hair, which looked messy and messy, as if she had been abused by the keepers in the zoo. But in fact, Yaya's hair problems are mainly related to skin diseases. As early as 2003, when Yaya was first admitted to the zoo, the park discovered an abnormality in its hair: it looked visually different from other giant pandas. In 2006, the Memphis Zoo consulted with giant panda experts in Beijing about Yaya's hair problem and used anti-parasitic drugs for four months, but the hair condition did not improve.
Looking at age groups, giant pandas over 20 years old are old giant pandas, and giant pandas over 30 years old are senior pandas. Lele is 24 years old this year, and Yaya is 22 years old, so they are more prone to health problems. Compared with giant pandas of the same age, the conditions of Yaya and Lele are not too bad, and in terms of feeding management and health care, the Memphis Zoo also responded: There is no problem with the maintenance conditions.
In terms of feeding and management, the Memphis Zoo has specially opened 60 acres of bamboo forest, planted 7 kinds of bamboo , and purchased bamboo from 40 reviewed locations in the surrounding area. It can provide Yaya and Lele with 50 to 65 kilograms of bamboo each day, and it can also provide fresh bamboo shoots at a dosage of 50 kilograms per day every spring. At the same time, the park also provides panda bread, carrots, apples, high-fiber biscuits and other complementary foods to ensure daily nutritional needs.
In terms of health care, the park conducts physical examinations of giant pandas every year, and prepares health assessment reports every month based on the giant pandas’ weight, food intake, feces volume, and daily use of enrichment tools. After discovering problems, we will formulate maintenance strategies in a timely manner, and actively communicate with the Beijing Zoo and Shanghai Zoo to improve the feeding and health management strategies.
Of course, when it comes to the conservation of giant pandas, our country has an obvious advantage. Sending Yaya and Lele back to their hometown in China is the best choice both emotionally and rationally.I would also like to wish the two national treasures a healthy recovery and a happy life!
Research on the protection of giant pandas: China has advantages over foreign countries
The giant panda has been a unique species in my country since ancient times. It was recorded under the ancient name "Pixiu" in the ancient book "The Book of Songs" over 3,000 years ago. It was called "Tapir" in "Erya" in the early Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago. There are more than 20 ancient, local, and legendary names for giant pandas in China from ancient times to the present, such as: fierce leopard, iron-eating beast, bamboo bear, flower bear, etc.
As the country of origin of giant pandas, my country's research on giant pandas is also at the world's leading level. Among them, the earliest research began with morphology research, which can be traced back to before the 1980s. Later studies were more nuanced and comprehensive, involving many aspects such as food habits, behavioral training, habitat selection, nutritional management, reintroduction into the wild, and population viability. Judging from literature indicators, my country is the country that has contributed the largest number of documents in the field of giant panda research, with hundreds of papers on conservation and management alone.
my country also has rich practical experience and has obvious advantages in rescuing hungry, injured, and sick giant pandas, and in caring for old and elderly giant pandas. For example: Chongqing Zoo Through careful breeding, the 20-year-old "No. 8" giant panda showed reproductive behavior from 1993 to 1994, indicating that the physiological condition is excellent, which is very rare among elderly giant pandas; Guo Wei and other researchers have created warm-winter and cool-summer, Cave dormitories with good ventilation conditions have improved the nutritional status of feed, setting a new record for the reproduction of elderly giant pandas. Researchers have also formulated normal physiological indicators for elderly giant pandas to facilitate a more scientific assessment of the physiological status of giant pandas. These are experience advantages that foreign zoos do not have.
Let’s take my country’s giant panda longevity star “Xinxing” as an example to talk about the management and protection strategies of domestic giant pandas. Xinxing is a female giant panda who was born in the wild in Baoxing County, Sichuan in 1982. She died on December 8, 2020 at the age of 38 years and 4 months, setting a record for the oldest captive giant panda.
According to the breeder, Xinxing suffered from a serious illness when he was one year old. After being rescued and cured, he has been living in Chongqing Zoo. When he was 20 years old, he gave birth to twins. As of 2019, Xinxing has a total of 153 offspring, distributed in zoos in more than 20 countries and regions including Japan, the United States, and Canada.
Xinxing's growth environment is quite superior. The breeding environment is divided into left and right inner rooms, an outer sports ground, and a tourist area. The inner room covers an area of 36.93 square meters and is equipped with sleeping boards, sinks, blood collection racks, heating and cooling air conditioners and other equipment. The outer sports ground covers an area of 124 square meters and is equipped with wooden perches, tall shrubs, trees, weeds, pools, sand and other simulated wild facilities. The daily food is mainly bamboo leaves, bamboo shoots, concentrated feed, and fruits. However, according to the observation of the breeder, Xinxing seems to have a special liking for bamboo shoots with sufficient moisture and rich protein. The daily feed intake is as follows: square bamboo shoots 57.18%, Nan bamboo shoots 54.45%, winter bamboo shoots 52.02%, and whip bamboo shoots 50%.
Chongqing Zoo has also established a professional breeding team, selecting breeders with strong sense of responsibility and high technical level; regularly disinfecting 1 to 2 times a week to keep the cage environment clean and dry; when the outdoor temperature is suitable, try to allow the new star enough exercise time , fully basking in the sun and drinking water freely; when the temperature in summer is higher than 32℃, the giant pandas are brought back indoors in time, the indoor temperature is controlled at 18~25℃, the relative humidity is controlled at 70%, and fruits such as iced watermelon, carrots, apples are provided; when the temperature is higher than 35℃, Xinxing can also enjoy regular medicinal bath services, and the treatment is luxurious.
Giant pandas going abroad: from diplomatic gifts to cooperative leasing
my country's giant pandas went abroad in two periods. The first was from 1957 to 1982. During this period, " panda diplomacy " became very popular, and giant pandas went abroad as "diplomatic ambassadors". According to statistics, during the past 26 years, the Chinese government has donated a total of 23 giant pandas to 9 countries, all of which are free of charge, and the nationality of the giant pandas is allowed to be changed.
One of the most famous diplomatic events was that after US President Richard Nixon visited China in 1972, Premier Zhou Enlai announced a grand national gift to the American people: giant pandas Lingling and Xingxing from Baoxing County, Sichuan. On April 16 of that year, Lingling and Xingxing arrived at the National Zoo in Washington on a special plane. Traffic jams were caused on the first day. The number of visitors in the first month exceeded 1.1 million. This year was also called the "Year of the Panda" by the American people.
The second stage was after 1982. The Chinese government no longer sent giant pandas to the outside world as free gifts. The only way became exchange and cooperation: signing leasing agreements and jointly carrying out breeding research by Chinese and foreign zoos. Compared with diplomatic gifts, a distinctive feature of cooperative leasing is that the ownership of giant pandas belongs to China.
According to relevant plans, China will first send a pair of sub-adult giant pandas abroad, and then conduct scientific research for up to 10 years with scientific researchers from the receiving country. The lease can be reasonably renewed in the future. While living overseas, if a giant panda gives birth to a child in another land, the offspring will not only belong to China, but an additional US$600,000 will have to be paid every year. If the panda dies unexpectedly, the recipient must pay a certain amount of compensation, and the giant panda carcass will also belong to China.
While overseas, the largest annual expense for foreign zoos is rent, which needs to be paid at a unit price of US$1 million per head every year, and the rent in 10 years can be as high as US$10 million. Speaking of which, you can calculate how much rent Yaya and Lele have recovered for our country.
Some people may think that the rent is too high, but compared with the ticket revenue, the rent of $1 million is nothing! For example: after the introduction of giant pandas to the Edinburgh Zoo in the UK, the number of visitors soared to 800,000, and it took only one year to go from a debt of 12 million yuan to a profit of 100 million yuan, almost making money while lying down;
The giant panda at Edinburgh Zoo in the UK
Giant pandas seem to be born with the "magic power" to conquer the world. Countless countries have applied to China to lease giant pandas, but it is not easy to pass the review. For example, my country has strict requirements for overseas residences of giant pandas. It not only needs to review the qualifications of zoos, but also requires the construction of special panda pavilions. The indoor climate must be suitable to fully adapt to the living habits of giant pandas. In addition to bedrooms, delivery rooms, and indoor activity rooms, large outdoor activity venues are also essential, and the logistics and nursing teams must also be professional enough.
After the giant pandas went to sea: How were they treated?
Giant pandas are national treasures and generally receive preferential treatment as VIPs after going abroad. However, the specific treatment is different in different countries.
To welcome the opening of the World Cup, the organizer Qatar specially rented two giant pandas from China, named Jingjing and Sihai. In order to ensure a good living environment for giant pandas, Qatar spent 360 million to build a giant panda pavilion covering an area of 100,000 square meters. The indoor air conditioning operates 24 hours a day and is equipped with lawns, pools, plank roads and other living and entertainment facilities. This is not the most exaggerated thing. In order to take care of the giant pandas' emotions, the local breeders have even learned Sichuan dialect . The park transports 1,000 kilograms of fresh Sichuan bamboo by air every week. This treatment is left to everyone to judge!
In the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland and other countries, the treatment of giant pandas is equally enviable. The giant panda pavilion built in the Netherlands covers an area of 9,000 square meters, and the cost of the Danish panda pavilion is as high as 120 million yuan. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Herteri Zoo in Finland specially invited a choir to sing the Chinese song "When Will the Bright Moon Come" for the giant pandas, presumably to relieve the giant pandas' homesickness. It must be said that this level of attentiveness is very rare in Chinese zoos, at least in terms of attitude.
So far, there are more than 20 countries and regions leasing giant pandas around the world. Each overseas foster care center treats giant pandas like distinguished guests. my country's supervision will also ensure that giant pandas live worry-free overseas. Furthermore, without ideal living conditions as a prerequisite, our country will not agree to "rent" national treasures. What do you think?
#American Zoo announces the return of giant pandas Yaya and Lele#
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