DAK looking to add a Panda?

JEDIsney

JEDIsney

Member
Scar Junior said:
We had a panda at the Minnesota Zoo a few years ago. He walked into the zoo restaurant, sat down and ordered a sandwich. He ate the sandwich, pulled out a gun and shot the waiter dead. As the panda stood up to go, the manager of the zoo's restaurant shouted, "Hey! Where are you going? You just shot my waiter and you didn't pay for your sandwich!"
The panda yelled back at the manager, "Hey man, I'm a panda! PAN-DA! Look it up!"

The manager opened his dictionary and saw the definition:

Panda n. : A black and white, tree dwelling marsupial of Asian origin that eats chutes and leaves."
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:lol: Where are you pulling these from?
 
Scar Junior

Scar Junior

Active Member
JEDIsney said:
:lol: Where are you pulling these from?
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I have to admit... that last one is "old." My friends and I have said things like it for years. The funny thing is...... panda. Such a funny animal! He does what he wants when he wants and that's what makes him so cool. I wish I had panda ethnicity (maybe then I would get a scholarship!).
 
Scar Junior

Scar Junior

Active Member
PS. Sandwiches are funny too. That's an inside joke within an inside joke. I (and everyone within the Twin Cities) LOVE sandwiches. How can you not?
 
Scar Junior

Scar Junior

Active Member
If it were up to me, I'd put the pandas upstairs in Imagination. They would be in front of the old green screen so that they could be used in a variety of hilarious situations...

"What? Panda is robbing the bank!?"
 
sbkline

sbkline

Well-Known Member
When you talk about adding "A Panda", do you mean a Panda exhibit, including a family of Pandas, or are you talking about a single, lone panda? I would hope that they would have at least two...preferable 4 or 6....for companionship and reproductive purposes. I would think that would be a sad, boring life for a Panda to be the only one of its kind there.

But I would love it if they would get a handful of the creatures...they would go great in Asia.
 
JimboJones123

JimboJones123

Well-Known Member
sbkline said:
When you talk about adding "A Panda", do you mean a Panda exhibit, including a family of Pandas, or are you talking about a single, lone panda? I would hope that they would have at least two...preferable 4 or 6....for companionship and reproductive purposes. I would think that would be a sad, boring life for a Panda to be the only one of its kind there.

But I would love it if they would get a handful of the creatures...they would go great in Asia.
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It could always hang w/the Hippos... BEWARE OF THE HIPPO!
 
Kalikala

Kalikala

New Member
The area near Everest seems like a perfect location- but then they'd probably want it far enough away from the coaster to not have it driven nuts by screaming riders! I love the theming of the whole area around Everest, but it does seem odd that there are no animals over that way yet.
 
gregory_510

gregory_510

New Member
ccmuffin2 said:
Pandas are very expensive to rent I saw a story on TV recently about a Major Zoo whos had a multi-year contract to rent a Panda from China at around 3 Million year and that the Zoo would be remegging on the Contract w/ 2 years remaining , and the Zoo had a nice attendence level at the Panda Opening and then the attendence dropped.They told China come pick up the Panda
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I work at the Oakland Zoo, and we were just approved to receive 2 Pandas. The lease is for 3 years with a possible additional 2 years at 1.7 million a year. The Chinese government also requires that we grow our own bamboo and have at least one year's supply on hand at all times once the Pandas arrive. In addition to the bamboo the Pandas have to have a dedicated medical facility, a specific size for the "viewing area" along with a "private" area that has to meet specific requirements in size, grade and foliage. All in all the enclosure will cost the Zoo around 7 million dollars. The Chinese Government also required around 4 million dollars in general "upgrades" to the zoo, just to get the Pandas, it's a good thing Disney has deep pockets!
 
RSoxNo1

RSoxNo1

Well-Known Member
I know many people on here consider Jim Hill the red headed step child of Disney fans, but an article of his from March made mention of Disney still trying to get Pandas from the China government:
Jim Hill Media said:
Not to mention Disney's desire to borrow a few pandas from China and use those rarer-than-rare creatures to temporarily bump up attendance levels at Animal Kingdom.
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Teenchy

Teenchy

Member
gregory_510 said:
I work at the Oakland Zoo, and we were just approved to receive 2 Pandas. The lease is for 3 years with a possible additional 2 years at 1.7 million a year. The Chinese government also requires that we grow our own bamboo and have at least one year's supply on hand at all times once the Pandas arrive. In addition to the bamboo the Pandas have to have a dedicated medical facility, a specific size for the "viewing area" along with a "private" area that has to meet specific requirements in size, grade and foliage. All in all the enclosure will cost the Zoo around 7 million dollars. The Chinese Government also required around 4 million dollars in general "upgrades" to the zoo, just to get the Pandas, it's a good thing Disney has deep pockets!
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You got it, it takes BIG BUCKS to have Pandas. We love our Pandas in D.C. They are a huge draw and since we finally had the baby Panda its been an even bigger draw. But when you consider the money to rent the Pandas and the required facility they would have to build, I just dont see it happening. Believe me if it was that easy many more Zoo's would have them.
And unfortunatley when or if they have a baby..(very complicated and rare to have a baby Panda).the baby still belongs to China.
It would be a wonderful addition to DAK but I think its wishful thinking.

Here is the link to "Our" Pandas. Including the cute new baby...well he (Tai Shan) is actually 1 now.

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/
 
Loretta

Loretta

Member
Teenchy said:
You got it takes BIG BUCKS to have Pandas. We love our Pandas in D.C. They are a huge draw and since we finally had the baby Panda its been an even bigger draw. But when you consider the money to rent the Pandas and the required facility they would have to build, I just dont see it happening. Believe me if it was that easy many more Zoo's would have them.
And unfortunatley when or if they have a baby..(very complicated and rare to have a baby Panda).the baby still belongs to China.
It would be a wonderful addition to DAK but I think its wishful thinking.

Here is the link to "Our" Pandas. Including the cute new baby...well he (Tai Shan) is actually 1 now.

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/
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I go on that site at least two times a day. Tai Shan is soooo cute. Fun watching he and his mom play. I've noticed also that the octopus has been missing the last couple days. Do you have any idea why?
Sorry for the hijacking of the thread.:wave:
 
PKD

PKD

Active Member
disfreak-o said:
I also think AK should have a panda added to their park. After all, China is in Asia, which is in the AK park. If they're so rare, the AK park would make better profit for having unusual animals and stuff like that. And, of course, I love AK so I would love to see it add on some cool animals as well as more cool rides.
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Normally you would think this is true when it comes to Pandas. However the cost to have just one Panda is greater then what tickets, food, & merch could bring in. The main way a zoo is able to afford the animals is due to millions in private donations. This is also per year cost, not just over the animals life time.

I think Pandas would be GREAT, however working with them in the past at the national Zoo in DC, they are not the "money maker" every would assume they are.
 
JimboJones123

JimboJones123

Well-Known Member
Please don't kill me for bumping, but I do believe a history of this topic is necessary for my post.

With my kids getting older, we have been going zoo crazy. We have a trip planned in a few weeks to go to Toledo so we can see polar bears and hippos. This Friday, we are checking out the baby elephant here in town at the Columbus Zoo.

On to the point.

We want to see Pandas again. We took a trip to San Diego last year and the kiddos fell in love with the Pandas. Especially seeing the baby. We are going to DC next summer, but would love for AK to get a few. With the expansion of the park, this would be a HUGE draw, and also be a real crowd eater.

I was just wondering if any talks have been revisited lately or if they had just given up on this idea.

Thanks.
 
SirGoofy

SirGoofy

Member
I don't know if there has been any progress, but this would be huge. On top of being a huge draw, it would be fairly CHEAP to implement.

My word, me supporting a cheap idea. What's gotten into me?:lol:
 

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