TV wildlife expert Chris Packham has controversially called for giant pandas to be allowed to die out – with tigers next. Chris, host of BBC2’s Springwatch, believes the millions spent preserving pandas could be put to better use elsewhere.He argued: “Here’s a species that of its own accord has gone down an evolutionary cul-de-sac. It’s not a strong species.
“Unfortunately it’s big and cute and it’s a symbol of the World Wildlife Fund – and we pour millions of pounds into panda conservation. I reckon we should pull the plug. Let them go with a degree of dignity.”
The cash should instead go on saving biodiversity hotspots, he argued. Chris, 48, claimed breeding threatened species in captivity then releasing them into the wild was “nonsense” – and said tigers would die out within two decades. He said, “Animals are invariably becoming extinct because there’s no secure habitat for them."
“Where are you going to release them? I don’t think tigers are going to last another 15 years. How can you conserve an animal that’s worth more dead than alive? You can’t.”
Giant pandas are found only in China. There are around 1,600 in the wild with around 180 more being reared in captivity. They are dying out because their natural habitat is being destroyed.
Fellow wildlife expert David Bellamy last night backed Chris and said: “I agree completely. When I was a WWF trustee I begged them to buy big chunks of the land in which these animals live, not just go on spending millions on rearing pandas in captivity."
“You can’t release them back into the wild if there is no wild left and we shouldn’t rear animals just to put them into cages. “Even the WWF admitted there is no longer enough land for them to live on.”
Fellow wildlife expert David Bellamy last night backed Chris and said: “I agree completely. When I was a WWF trustee I begged them to buy big chunks of the land in which these animals live, not just go on spending millions on rearing pandas in captivity."
“You can’t release them back into the wild if there is no wild left and we shouldn’t rear animals just to put them into cages. “Even the WWF admitted there is no longer enough land for them to live on.”
But the WWF’s Dr Mark Wright said at-risk species could thrive in the right conditions.
He said: “Chris is right – we need to keep secure habitat for endangered species. This is exactly what’s being achieved in the case of the giant panda.”
It is not the first time Chris has outraged conservationists by suggesting they give up on the iconic black and white bear. Last year he said: “I’d eat the last panda if I could have the money we’ve spent on panda conservation back on the table for me to do more sensible things with.”
He said: “Chris is right – we need to keep secure habitat for endangered species. This is exactly what’s being achieved in the case of the giant panda.”
It is not the first time Chris has outraged conservationists by suggesting they give up on the iconic black and white bear. Last year he said: “I’d eat the last panda if I could have the money we’ve spent on panda conservation back on the table for me to do more sensible things with.”
On another occasion he said: “Let them go, wave goodbye, maybe have a party or a wake. Just stop wasting money trying to save them from extinction.”
Should we breed extinct animals in captivity, when there is no chance of releasing them back to the wild? Should we build large habitats for them?
Perhaps the money would be better spent saving the habitat of the polar bear while he still has a small chance of survival. HELP SLOW DOWN GLOBAL WARMING UNTIL WE FIND THE SOLUTION.Contact: www.naturecanada.ca/ Contact: http://www.earthday.ca/
The money should be put to better use, so put it toward saving the great"Polar Bears" and "Global Warming, something we are very much in need of.
ReplyDeleteWake up people,lrts stop throwing good money after bad.
Time to get down to business and stop all this bull-s**t.