Giant pandas for New Zealand?

As reported on Wednesday, New Zealand's bid to host a breeding pair of giant pandas has moved up a gear, with the Government indicating it will help with funding.

A spokeswoman for Prime Minister John Key said it would cost about $1.29 million a year to lease the bears from the Chinese Government, which would ultimately decide whether pandas came to this country.

The pandas could be located at Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington or Christchurch zoos.

Experience suggests pandas would increase a zoo's revenue by 70% but it could have to find millions of dollars to build infrastructure for them.

It cost Adelaide Zoo $10.3 million for a panda enclosure with refrigerated rocks to keep the bears cool during the hot Aussie summers. They would not be needed in Wellington.

Wellington Zoo Chief Executive Karen Fifield has yet to assess the numbers to see if pandas would attract enough visitors to make economic sense, stating âwe think it's good for New Zealand and a good thing for

Wellington and we are looking at this seriously. What it is going to come down to is the money ... the return on investment

"They're iconic animals and there's only 1,500 of them left. They are one of the rarest animals on the planet."

Pandas like to eat ... a lot. In one day they can consume up to 40 kilograms of bamboo shoots, which would need to be grown in Wellington.

Fifield adds "the New Zealand Bamboo Society is located in Wellington ... and we have a relationship with them because we feed our red pandas bamboo."

Residents could also end up growing bamboo for the bears. In Australia, people grew eucalyptus for koalas.

Hamilton Zoo Director Dr Stephen Standley said it was too soon to say what Hamilton's response would be, and he was still to prepare a report for the mayor and the council outlining possible options, stating "at the moment we have received a background information pack to see if we are interested in hosting the pandas, and giving an idea of costings.

Christchurch's Orana Wildlife Trust's spokesman Nathan Hawke said the park had asked for more information about the giant pandas from the Department of Internal Affair, adding âthis has just recently been received and is being reviewed by staff."

The Government required a response by the middle of January.

Adelaide Zoo Chief Executive Chris West gave a presentation to Wellington City Council and Government representatives in September to provide an overview of his zoo's panda experience.

It took Adelaide 30 months from the start of discussions with China to acquire its pandas. It has had a 70% increase in revenue since its pandas arrived about a year ago.

Image shows Adelaide Zoo's panda Wang Wang.

1st December 2010 - ADELAIDE ZOO’S PANDAS BOOST VISITORS