FW: (CN) Advocates for Animals - Sign-on letter request regarding Edinburgh Zoo's plans to lease Giant Pandas

[Guest guest]

Ross Minett [ross]

Monday, May 19, 2008 5:41 PM

jwed

Advocates for Animals - Sign-on letter request regarding Edinburgh

Zoo's plans to lease Giant Pandas

 

 

Edinburgh Zoo has announced that it intends to lease a pair of Giant Pandas

from a research centre in China (some media coverage below). No British zoos

have held these animals for over 10 years.

 

I am writing to ask if you would be willing to add your organisation's name

to the attached letters:

 

1. To Edinburgh Zoo asking it to reconsider its plan to lease the Giant

Pandas

 

2. To Scotland's First Minister, Alex Salmond, asking for the Scottish

Government to not support the plan

 

3. To Gordon Brown, asking for the UK Government to not support the plan

 

An MSP and MP have tabled Motions in the Scottish Parliament and Westminster on

this issue

( http://advocatesforanimals.com/index.php/news-releases-2008/15/05/2008.html

and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7403323.stm

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/edinburgh/Politicians-call-on-Edinburgh-Zoo.40\

88634.jp ).

 

I would be grateful if you could kindly let me know if we can add your

organisation's support to these letters in opposition to Edinburgh Zoo's

plans. We will then send and press release the joint letters. I am sending

this request to many other organisations, including Animals Asia. Any

suggestions of additional Asian/Chinese organisations to contact would be

much appreciated.

 

Many thanks

 

Ross

 

http://www.stv.tv/news/East_Central_Scotland/Giant_pandas_could_come_to_Edinburg\

h_Zo_080512123511958

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/-Zoo-team-get-their.4072013.jp

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/edinburgh/Zoo--39rock-star39-pandas.4076458.jp

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/latestnews/Pandas-head-for-Scotland-in.4070093.j\

p

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7394608.stm

http://www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/SnippetAccess.aspx?=643 & pid=79 & pageIndex=1

 

 

ROSS MINETT MSc BSc (Hons)

Campaigns Director

Advocates for Animals

10 Queensferry Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4PG, Scotland, UK

Tel: +44 (0) 131 225 6039

Fax: +44 (0) 131 220 6377

www.advocatesforanimals.org <http://www.advocatesforanimals.org/>

 

WORK WITH ADVOCATES TO BAN CRUEL SNARES IN SCOTLAND

 

Please support Advocates for Animals, League Against Cruel Sports,

Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue Trust, Hare Preservation Trust, International

Otter Survival Fund and Scottish Badgers' campaign for a ban on snares in

Scotland at:

 

www.bansnares.com <http://www.bansnares.com/>

 

 

 

1.

David Windmill

Chief Executive

Edinburgh Zoo

Corstorphine Road

Edinburgh

EH12 6TS

 

Monday 19 May 2008

 

Dear Mr Windmill

 

Royal Zoological Society of Scotland proposal to RENT/breed pandas

 

We write to express the concern of the undernoted organisations regarding

plans by Edinburgh Zoo to lease Giant Pandas from a research centre in China

for exhibition and possible captive breeding.

 

It is our understanding that no captive bred Giant Panda has ever been

successfully reintroduced into the wild. Any animals bred at Edinburgh Zoo

would most likely be condemned to spend their entire lives in captivity. The

International Union for Conservation of Nature states that the effort to

release captive pandas " addresses mainly a problem of overcrowding in

captivity " and that " Reintroduction of captive animals may be limited by

lack of suitable release sites with adequate habitat but few or no pandas,

which are necessary conditions to avoid possible transmission of disease and

social disruption of the wild population. "

 

If Edinburgh Zoo or the RZSS wishes to help giant pandas, this should be by

supporting in situ conservation in Chinese panda reserves, along with moves

to preserve the animals' natural habitat. To make the provision of support

for such projects dependent on the acquisition of animals for exhibition in

a Scottish zoo is, in our opinion, both unethical and not in the long-term

best interests of the species nor of the individuals.

 

We urge you to reconsider any plans to lease Giant Pandas and await your

response.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Ross Minett, Campaigns Director

ADVOCATES FOR ANIMALS

 

Will Travers, Chief Executive

BORN FREE FOUNDATION

 

cc.

Mr John Spence OBE, President, The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland,

Edinburgh, EH12 6TS.

Mr Graham Law MPhil, Chair of the Animal Welfare and Ethics Committee, The

Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Edinburgh, EH12 6TS.

 

 

2.

Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP

The Prime Minister

10 Downing Street

London

SW1A 1AA

 

Monday 19 May 2008

 

Dear Prime Minister

 

Royal Zoological Society of Scotland proposal to RENT/breed pandas

 

We write to express the concern of the undernoted organisations regarding

plans by Edinburgh Zoo to lease Giant Pandas from a research centre in China

for exhibition and possible captive breeding.

 

It is our understanding that no captive bred Giant Panda has ever been

successfully reintroduced into the wild. Any animals bred at Edinburgh Zoo

would most likely be condemned to spend their entire lives in captivity. The

International Union for Conservation of Nature states that the effort to

release captive pandas " addresses mainly a problem of overcrowding in

captivity " and that " Reintroduction of captive animals may be limited by

lack of suitable release sites with adequate habitat but few or no pandas,

which are necessary conditions to avoid possible transmission of disease and

social disruption of the wild population. "

 

If Edinburgh Zoo or the RZSS wishes to help Giant Pandas, this should be by

supporting in situ conservation in Chinese panda reserves, along with moves

to preserve the animals' natural habitat. To make the provision of support

for such projects dependent on the acquisition of animals for exhibition in

a Scottish zoo is, in our opinion, both unethical and not in the long-term

best interests of the species nor of the individuals.

 

On a broader political note, the use of wild animals as diplomatic gifts

(which might be how the panda plan is regarded by some) is widely

discredited and is nothing more than a deplorable activity from a bygone

age.

 

We urge the Government not to support or promote any plans to lease Giant

Pandas, and await your response.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

 

3.

Alex Salmond MSP

The Office of the First Minister

St. Andrew's House

Regent Road

Edinburgh

 

EH1 3DG

 

Monday 19 May 2008

 

 

Dear First Minister

 

Royal Zoological Society of Scotland proposal to RENT/breed pandas

 

We write to express the concern of the undernoted organisations regarding

plans by Edinburgh Zoo to lease Giant Pandas from a research centre in China

for exhibition and possible captive breeding.

 

It is our understanding that no captive bred Giant Panda has ever been

successfully reintroduced into the wild. Any animals bred at Edinburgh Zoo

would most likely be condemned to spend their entire lives in captivity. The

International Union for Conservation of Nature states that the effort to

release captive pandas " addresses mainly a problem of overcrowding in

captivity " and that " Reintroduction of captive animals may be limited by

lack of suitable release sites with adequate habitat but few or no pandas,

which are necessary conditions to avoid possible transmission of disease and

social disruption of the wild population. "

 

If Edinburgh Zoo or the RZSS wishes to help Giant Pandas, this should be by

supporting in situ conservation in Chinese panda reserves, along with moves

to preserve the animals' natural habitat. To make the provision of support

for such projects dependent on the acquisition of animals for exhibition in

a Scottish zoo is, in our opinion, both unethical and not in the long-term

best interests of the species nor of the individuals.

 

On a broader political note, the use of wild animals as diplomatic gifts

(which might be how the panda plan is regarded by some) is widely

discredited and is nothing more than a deplorable activity from a bygone

age.

 

We urge the Scottish Government not to support or promote any plans to lease

Giant Pandas, and await your response.

 

Yours sincerely