MaverickM11 From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 15717 posts, RR: 48 Posted (3 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 970 times:
"Conservationists should "pull the plug" on giant pandas and let them die out, according to BBC presenter and naturalist Chris Packham.
"Here's a species that, of its own accord, has gone down an evolutionary cul-de-sac," Packham told Radio Times magazine.
Packham believes that money spent on conserving the panda would be better invested in other animals as the species is not strong enough to survive alone"
Makes sense to me... I've wondered how the pandas have made it this far considering how specific their environmental needs are...
FLY2HMO From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (3 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 962 times:
Quoting MaverickM11 (Thread starter):
Makes sense to me... I've wondered how the pandas have made it this far considering how specific their environmental needs are...
I've heard this about several other species as well. The cheetah is one that comes to mind.
Force13 From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 229 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (3 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 943 times:
Quoting MaverickM11 (Thread starter): Conservationists should "pull the plug" on giant pandas and let them die out,
About time someone addresses the scourge of the Pandas! How dare they eat their bamboo and look all cute! What about US??!!
Same thing goes for those cheetahs!
Do not taunt. Do not shake. Do not pander. Add coffee. Subject should be slightly human within an hour.
Us330 From United States of America, joined Aug 2000, 3741 posts, RR: 15 Reply 3, posted (3 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 942 times:
I see the guy's point, and do somewhat agree with it--how can you really save a species when you have to coerce it to mate? Remember panda porn?
If it wasn't for the animal being so cute (in spite of their general grumpiness), I have to wonder whether it would already be extinct or if people would be spending so much money on saving it.
Meanwhile, his opponent says:
"Pandas have adapted to where they live. They live in the mountains where there is plenty of the bamboo they want to eat.
"It's like saying the blue whale is in an evolutional cul-de-sac because it lives in the ocean," Wright added.
-----end quote----
The guy picked the wrong analogy--yes, blue whales live in the ocean, but they swim all over the world's oceans. Pandas are confined to one specific type of biome in one general region. A more accurate comparison might be some random fish found on one coral reef or atoll that lives nowhere else.
Rara From Germany, joined Jan 2007, 1823 posts, RR: 3 Reply 4, posted (3 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 922 times:
Eh? They've been around for millions of years; much longer than our own species. If it wasn't for us, chances are they'd be absolutely fine.
Obviously species die out all the time, but to presume that the disappearance of the Great Panda and their being hunted and driven out of their habitat is unrelated... seems like a huge stretch.
Samson was a biblical tough guy, but his dad Samsonite was even more of a hard case.
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