Chinese panda centre launches new adoption appeal
Date: 20-Sep-99
Country: CHINA
It said the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding and Research Base in the
southwestern province of Sichuan wanted 11 giant pandas, including twins
just born eight months ago, to be adopted, it said.
"A panda needs between 40,000 and 50,000 yuan ($4,800 and $6,000) a year
for living expenses and medical fees. The base is short of funds so it
has decided to look for adopters," it quoted the centre's director, Li
Guanghan, as saying.
He said an individual or organisation adopting a panda could name it and
receive an adoption certificate.
They would receive a letter every six months on the panda's health and
could visit the animal at any time, Li said.
In September 1993, Taiwan popsinger Tong Ange became the first adopter
after paying $5,000. Since then, 13 pandas have been adopted, most of
them by people from Taiwan, Hongkong, Thailand, Japan and the United
States.
Fewer than 1,000 pandas are now left worldwide and all of them are in
China.
The Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding and Research Base is the only
organisation in the world specialising in the research of the giant
panda and currently is home to 27 of them, the China Daily said.