In Our View: Creating Panda-monium

What’s black and white and loved all over?

Well, maybe it’s the newspaper, but we were actually thinking about giant pandas. They’re so loved, in fact, that a group of panda aficionados in Washington state is trying to convince the Chinese government to allow some to come to the Evergreen State, where presumably they would live at a zoo in either Seattle or Tacoma.

But wait. Seattle already has pandas, you say. The Woodland Park Zoo is home to the red panda, a much smaller creature whose likeness is rarely appropriated for plush toys, children’s pajamas and full-length animated films. And of course, Seattle also has Panda Express, Panda Daycare, Panda Photo Lab, Phat Panda (apparently this is marijuana), Parking Panda and Pocket Panda (an “indie-folk-dance band.”) Yes, clearly the Emerald City is panda-obsessed.

So why not try for the real thing? According to National Geographic, there are about 100 giant pandas on display in zoos around the world, including San Diego, Memphis, Atlanta and the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. They’re large creatures, weighing up to 300 pounds as adults, and can spend 12 hours per day eating, including 28 pounds of bamboo.

The Seattle Times calls giant pandas “a superstar species that draws crowd like no other.” But stardom, of course, comes with a steep price. The Chinese government has cornered the market on the beasts, which despite what you might have heard are members of the bear family. Zoos must rent giant pandas for 10 years at a cost of $1 million per year, and pay $400,000 for every panda birth — and they usually don’t get to keep the cub.

Like any other superstar, the pandas require specialized high-end housing, a staff and a special diet. Those 28 pounds of bamboo just don’t grow on Washington trees.

Given those costs, the zoos are skeptical. A spokeswoman for the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma told a Times reporter that there are no plans to exhibit giant pandas there. The Woodland Park Zoo’s spokesman was a little more optimistic, saying the zoo would love to host the Chinese visitors but probably couldn’t afford the cost. And animal-rights activists aren’t impressed with the idea of holding pandas in captivity for the benefit of the stroller set and their parents.

None of those concerns have lessened the excitement and determination of proponents. In October, a group of state senators, including Ann Rivers, R-La Center, wrote Chinese President Xi Jinping asking to host two pandas. At a press conference last month, advocates distributed a translated response from Xi which seemed to indicate the Chinese would be interested if the money is right.

“The State Forestry Administration of China is ready to engage in preliminary technical exchanges with Washington state on joint panda research, with a view to creating conditions for future cooperation,” the letter read.

Ron Chow, a Lakewood businessman who co-chairs the Washington State Panda Foundation, told The News Tribune that the answer was the best proponents could have hoped for. But he said even if things go perfectly, the bears wouldn’t arrive for at least two more years. That will give the group time to work on three Fs: finances, fundraising and facilities.

If a reasonable plan can be devised, there’ll be two more Fs: fun and fascination. We love pandas, too.