Guest guest Posted July 18, 2005 Report Share Posted July 18, 2005 Iowa Wants Pandas POSTED: 6:02 pm CDT July 14, 2005 UPDATED: 6:19 pm CDT July 14, 2005 Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo has been trying to bring pandas to Omaha for five years, and now another Midwest group is beginning the quest for the bears. A group is working to bring a pair of endangered giant pandas to Iowa. The Des Moines Register reports that the idea is still in the early stages, but the group went to China last year and signed a letter of intent with a research breeding program for a long-term project to possibly lend two pandas to Des Moines. The group, the Chinese Cultural Center of America, is led by Paul Shao, who teaches architecture at Iowa State. Where the pandas would live if they get to Des Moines has not been determined, but talks have started with officials at Blank Park Zoo. Pandas live in four U.S. zoos in Georgia, California, Washington, D.C., and Tennessee. Previous Stories: June 8, 2005: Omaha Engages In Panda Politics December 13, 2002: Zoo Officials Lobby To Get A Panda Copyright 2005 by TheOmahaChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Zoo Officials Lobby To Get A Panda Three Zoos In Country Now Have Pandas POSTED: 6:51 p.m. CST December 12, 2002 UPDATED: 7:12 a.m. CST December 13, 2002 OMAHA, Nebraska -- Officials with the Henry Doorly Zoo made their case to Chinese officials Thursday about why the zoo would be a great home for a pair of pandas. Video Zoo Officials Lobby To Get A Panda Zoo officials want to bring a pair of endangered giant pandas to Omaha from their native habitat in China. The plan calls for a new jungle exhibit complete with life-like habitat and a focus on Chinese culture. Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Yang Jiechi and his group spent most of the day touring the zoo. The ambassador said he was impressed by what he saw inside the zoo's Lied Jungle. The ambassador was met by a group of local children, Mayor Mike Fahey and zoo Lee Simmons. " We would do more than just pandas. We'd have giant pandas, red pandas, birds, tekken, and other animals from china, " Simmons said. While the pandas would be a gift from China, they do carry a huge monetary obligation. The city would have to pledge more than $1 million a year for 10 years to support conservation programs for pandas in China. The project would also need extra money to fund building the new habitat at the zoo. Ambassador Jiechi said he'd do everything he could to help bring a panda to Omaha. Currently, only three zoos in the U.S. have pandas. There are estimated to be only 1,000 left in the wild. Omaha Engages In Panda Politics Henry Doorly Zoo Wants Panda Bears POSTED: 8:16 am CDT May 27, 2005 UPDATED: 1:38 pm CDT June 8, 2005 OMAHA, Neb. -- Omaha is campaigning to bring a rare pair of cute, cuddly bears to the city. Video Video: Furry Creatures Could Come To Omaha The Henry Doorly Zoo hopes to house a set of panda bears. There's only one place in the world to get them: China. And it takes persistence, according to the local group campaigning to bring bears home. If it happens, Henry Doorly would be only the fifth U.S. zoo with the bears. " Pandas are fuzzy. They're unique. They're wonderful. And they're very hard to get, " said Walter Scott, chairman of the board at the zoo. He and several elected officials have traveled to China. Sen. Ben Nelson has personally talked to the president of China twice. Last week, Nelson sat down with the Chinese ambassador -- the latest in a five-year negotiation. " We were in China last summer and we took Gov. Johanns with us and we met with several people over there and we think we're making progress, but we're not there yet. The Chinese spent 725 years building the Wall of China. They are very, very patient people. We need to have as much patience as they have, " Scott said. Walter Scott Scott said there's no guarantee that Omaha will ever get pandas. But he believes if it does, the addition will bring a new level of prestige. This year, the zoo had about 1.5 million visitors. Projections show those numbers would climb if pandas are brought to Henry Doorly. The next step in negotiations is to get the president of China to visit Omaha during a visit to the United States later this year. Scott and others were gathered at the zoo Thursday night for the opening of the new $8.5 million Orangutan Forest. The zoo announced its next big project is a new research lab twice the size of the current one. The Hubbard family will be one of the major donors, just as they were for the Orangutan Forest. Copyright 2005 by TheOmahaChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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