(CN) Three Taiwanese zoos interested in taking gift pandas

[Guest guest]

Thursday, May 5, 2005

http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ462ZFZ7E.html

 

JACKY HSU in Taipei

 

Beijing's offer of a pair of pandas as a gift to the Taiwanese

people has been received enthusiastically by the island's zoos - in stark

contrast to the guarded response from the authorities.

 

At least three zoos have expressed an interest in housing the

mainland guests, a day after the announcement was made to mark the end of

the historic mainland visit by Kuomintang leader Lien Chan on Tuesday. They

include the Leo Foo Zoo in Hsinchu, the Shoushan Zoo in Kaohsiung and the

Taipei Zoo.

 

" I believe many people here want to have the pandas. After all,

the panda is one of the world's treasures. If Taiwan has pandas, a large

number of people will want to go visit them in the zoo, " said Leo Foo Zoo

spokesman Lin Pei-yi.

 

Ms Lin said Leo Foo Zoo would be more than happy to raise the

pandas if the Taipei Zoo had difficulties completing its panda house.

 

Shoushan Zoo also expressed an interest in taking the pandas,

saying it had room to build a spacious temperature-controlled panda house

and had first-rate medical facilities to care for the animals.

 

" It may be a little tight for our manpower, but we will still be

able to arrange for our specialists to take care of the pandas, " said Chang

Po-yu, a section chief at the zoo.

 

Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou said on Tuesday that the Taipei Zoo

would be happy to host the pandas, although sceptics - including some ruling

Democratic Progressive Party city councillors - cast doubts on the zoo's

ability to do so, citing concerns about its financial resources.

 

Responding to the challenge, Taipei Zoo's Chao Ming-chieh said:

" We absolutely have the ability to raise the pandas " .

 

He said the zoo had started building a panda house, which was

expected to be completed by the end of this year and ready to open next

March or April.

 

" As for panda food, the zoo has prepared several kinds of

bamboo, with apples, carrots, sugarcane and porridge as side dishes for the

pandas, " he said.

 

He said the Taipei Zoo's chief concern was the prospect of

breeding pandas in Taiwan - a difficult task because the chance of a baby

panda surviving six months was only 40 per cent. However, he stressed that

the zoo would send specialists to the mainland to learn how to care for

pandas.

 

Mr Chao revealed an ambitious plan to send a team of three

specialists and one management official to first visit Japan or the US,

where pandas have been raised, for a two-month training programme, before

going to a mainland zoo for another two months of training.

 

The Taipei Zoo is reportedly the preferred recipient for the

pair of pandas to be given by the mainland. Yesterday, Mainland Affairs

Council chairman Joseph Wu Jau-shieh said the government would accept the

pandas as long as the gift did not violate any international regulations or

result in the downgrading of the island's status.

 

But Mr Ma said there was no need to worry that the pandas were a

political propaganda gimmick by the mainland.

 

" The pandas are not Chinese communists and they cannot possibly

become Chinese Communist Party members, " he said.

 

Mr Ma said the city government would form a task force to press

its bid to host the pandas.