Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) is truly sceptical about the panda rental programme, while Malaysian officials await excitedly the arrival of China’s adorable export.
SAM has reservations about the US1mil (RM3.24mil) a year lending fee Malaysia will have to cough up for 10 years as a result of the Chinese deal in addition to the total cost of the exhibition centre itself which is RM25mil, with RM15mil funded by the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (IMDB) and the rest by the government. Annual upkeep by Zoo Negara is estimated at RM1.5 million per year.
What makes this deal even more striking is the fact that when the pandas breed, it is normally the case for the hosting zoo to pay China US$640,000 (RM2.07 million). Overall, it is stunningly expensive to host the pandas and they can become a serious financial burden for the hosting zoos. This is the reason why pandas have left Adelaide Zoo in a debt of A$24 million.
The zoo that acquires the pandas initially feel they are going to increase visitor numbers and revenue, but once the initial novelty of the pandas wears off (usually within a year), then visitor numbers start dropping and stabilise. The zoo may find that at the end of it all when the costs of the exhibit, transport, panda rental fee, ongoing maintenance and feeding, etc are tallied, the panda rental actually cost them money.
So the zoo may not be floating on a sea of panda dollars for long. While pandas may have attracted many more people through the gates from interstate and abroad, and revenues increased in the form of sponsorships, memberships and events, these revenues may never be able to match the increase in the zoo’s operating expenses.
Instead of investing massive amounts of money in one star attraction, Zoo Negara should concentrate on improving their existing facilities many of which are not on par with world class zoos. Instead of requesting for millions in expenditure on pandas the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry should allocate a substantial sum to save Malaysia’s endangered species whose population is fast dwindling as a result of poaching and intensive forest clearance.
If Malaysia cannot save its own endangered species then what hope is there for the rest of our fauna and flora?
Payment involving large sums of money to host giant pandas is definitely not a sensible way to practice conservation in their natural habitats. Panda conservation should be focused on habitat protection, including reducing human demands and impacts on the existing system of panda reserves and protected areas. If conservation is truly the goal it does not make sense for China to be shipping pandas to zoos around the world.
The motivation for captive bred pandas appeared to be the money generated by loaning pandas to overseas zoos. And even then, captive breeding even in the best zoos deprive the animal of the space and natural stimulation they normally get in the wild. No enrichment activities or increase in enclosure space can be compared to roaming free for kilometres on end.
SAM is also horrified at the idea of Zoo Negara loaning out its orang-utans and tigers for a fee. Zoos should not be commercialising wildlife in this way. It is foolhardy to follow China’s footsteps as there is an overabundance of orangutans and tigers in zoos throughout the world and no captive wildlife should be exploited in this manner.
The issue of putting live animals on display as a symbol of diplomatic relations between countries is an outmoded practice in this day and age when animal rights and welfare are increasingly a matter of public debate and of growing importance. From our point of view, it is no longer possible for us to ignore the ethical wrong of keeping animals captive in our country’s zoos and aquariums.
SM MOHAMED IDRIS is president, Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM).
