Secret talks to bring pandas to New Zealand

BY DAVE BURGESS

Endangered Chinese giant pandas could be brought to Wellington Zoo under a secret deal.

It is understood Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast discussed bringing two pandas to the capital when she met the Beijing mayor in China this month.

The bears could be part-exchanged for a pair of kiwi under one suggested proposal.

A spokesman for Ms Prendergast said the subject of pandas was raised while she was in China, but he said discussions were being held at a national level and he declined to comment further.

Talks to bring the pandas to New Zealand were under way between the Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry and its Chinese counterpart, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister John Key confirmed last night.

She said Mr Key would be very pleased to secure giant pandas for a New Zealand zoo but nothing was confirmed.

"It is too early to say whether or not we will be successful in our bid or where the pandas will be located if we are."

When two pandas arrived at Adelaide Zoo in South Australia, they boosted visits by about 70 per cent in the first six months. They are the only pandas in the southern hemisphere.

Pandas are leased by the Chinese to zoos around the world, which is an option being considered for Wellington.

But the bears don't come cheap. Zoos in the United States pay the Chinese Government up to US$1 million (NZ$1.4m) a year to rent a pair of pandas. If cubs are born, the fee increases by an average of about US$600,000.

However, it has been suggested that Wellington-bound pandas could be exchanged for two kiwi. The move could either lower the cost of renting the pandas or even remove it altogether.

The possible exchange comes as New Zealand's relationship with China warms. New Zealand recently became the first country to sign a free trade agreement with China, which is now our second-largest trading partner.

Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping, tipped to be the next Chinese president, visited last week.

A panda's upkeep is expensive – it reportedly costs five times more than that of the next most-expensive zoo animal, an elephant. It is not uncommon for zoos to employ three full-time keepers and one back-up keeper to care for two bears.

And pandas like to eat – a lot. In one day they can consume about 20 kilograms of bamboo stems, 10kg to 14kg of bamboo leaves or 40kg of bamboo shoots.

BEAR FACTS

Grow to a length of 1.2m to 1.8m.

Weigh between 60kg and 125kg.

Bamboo makes up 99 per cent of their diet.

Eat up to 40kg of bamboo shoots daily.

Have a life expectancy of 25 years.

Only 1600 giant pandas live in the wild.

- © Fairfax NZ News