Pandas are essentially the bear equivalent of a house cat.
Chinese for Panda literally translates to big bear cat.
If you can understand why LOLcats are a thing, then you can understand why Pandas are the ultimate in Charismatic Megafauna.
Also this.
Charismatic Megafauna would be a great user name.
Complex mating behaviors, like those of the panda and the kakapo, developed in environments in which overpopulation was a huge threat to survival.
It was human intervention in these ecosystems that changed the circumstances – largely the shrinking of habitat. And, in the case of the kakapo, also the introduction of domestic and feral cats, which have been a curse to nearly every ecosystem.
So it’s human actions and activity that have pushed the panda to the brink of extinction, it’s not because pandas are too stupid to fuck.
You must be so fun at parties. I know all that. I just don’t care. As I said, there are about a gazillion* other species that are also suffering because of the same reasons, and they are perfectly willing to fuck in captivity, so why the panda?
*Please don’t correct me and say, “Actually, it’s not a gazillion, it’s…”
Hell, I’d much prefer people paid more attention to the plight of the kakapo. I love birds. But whenever you say anything about domestic and feral cats literally destroying populations, you get all the cat apologists and cat lovers in your face.
The kakapo is one of my very favourite creatures. The 2009 edition of the Book “Last Chance to See”, by Mark Carwardine and, in this edition, Stephen Fry, contains a hilarious and appealing account of the authors’ stay on Codfish Island, at the southern end of New Zealand – a small island specially cleared of predators, and the location of the majority of the world’s remaining kakapo (total 126 at the last count). Marvellous stuff about the antics of the birds, and of the resident naturalists in their loving and exhaustive care for them.
If I had to make a choice – “either the giant panda, or the kakapo, has to go extinct; it’s up to you” – those black and white buggers would be gone in a heartbeat.
Yes, I think what is irritating me is the inordinate amount of time, money, and resources are being spent to keep this animal from going extinct, while other species in equally dire straights (for a lot of the same reasons) are basically given short shrift.
I suppose the zoos that keep pandas - raking in lots of visitors and their dollars, are distributing those funds fairly to programs supporting other, less cute species, right? Right?
I feel like the pandas are on the way out, maybe in my lifetime, but so may be the rhino, the elephant, and the tiger. Are they less deserving of our interest and care? Perhaps because the panda is cute it will outlive it’s expire date.
I’ve heard it said before and I’ll repost it here now: Pandas are nature’s F students.
They are one of the only animals I can say that actually deserve to go extinct, and I wonder how in the world they managed to hang on this long.
Folks, its time to let 'em go.
Me too. Sigh.
I honestly think its about marketing. The Chinese have somehow managed to turn the panda into a symbol of their country, using panda diplomacy for money and fame, creating this myth around these rare animals that has fascinated people the world over. They could do the exact same thing with rare birds or siberian tigers, or whatever but for some reason the entire country has decided that, in the absence of dragons, pandas are the national symbol of China and as such, must be maintained and cared for at all costs
Yes it would.
Have you ever seen a baby panda? It is the epitome of “cute”. My wife and I were at the San Diego Zoo a few years ago, and I think we must have spent a half hour just looking at the baby panda.
I don’t actively hate them, but I don’t see the draw. And I don’t really want to support the Chinese government in their blackmail scheme.
And I don’t wish death on any species* but they don’t seem to do much. At least Kakapos can save us from marauding Stephens Fry and their compatriots with their sex skills (about 40s in).
Pandas aren’t cute to me either. Red “Pandas”, on the other hand…
*Never mind, mosquitos, termites, fleas, bedbugs, rot in hell.
I thought it was going to be about Chinese gold coins.
I can never resist this one: friendly Canadians threatening to kill cute pandas. :eek: It doesn’t seem right, somehow.
However, we might, just might, have a new pandalet in Scotland soon:
As you might know, the (getting old now) joke is that Scotland has more giant pandas than it has Tory Members of Parliament, so if all goes well, it will be even more true. It’s not really possible to be certain yet, and even if an ultrasound would help, the lady panda is not co-operative and, says the panda-manger guy, “We’re not going to risk the hand of our vet”.
Pandas! :):)
Largely, they wind up paying it to the Chinese government. Unlike most animals, pandas are basically rented out, zoos have to pay something I think pretty close to $1,000,000 annually per pair, with an even bigger one off payment for any cubs born. The cubs still belong to the Chinese government too…
I think it’s a) they’re an animal everyone can identify, b) they sit up, in a humanlike pose (notice penguins and meerkats, both of which spend a lot of time upright are also very popular), c) they’ve been pushed as ‘exotic’ for so long everyone’s convinced they must be interesting.
They’re really not that exciting though- people may well queue to see them, but they don’t tend to watch them for very long. Years ago I saw one in Paris zoo, which didn’t make a big deal about having it, and no-one was paying any attention to them at all- it’s just a big fat thing stuffing bamboo into its mouth, let’s go see the penguins now.
I think its about their food.
[Yoda] Bamboo shoots, he scores…! [/yoda]
So wait, that throwaway Fight Club line about killing every panda that wouldn’t screw to save its species is based on something true? Here I thought it was lack of habitat…
Agreed, it is a rather mediocre small Fiatcar, after all
Yeah, but it’s got a “thumb”! That’s worth an extra five minutes of gazing and musing on how when its stuffing bamboo into it mouth it looks a lot like you would if you were eating celery stalks on the couch while gazing vapidly at the tube :D.
I think it would work as a band name too. 
