Panda fever hits Washington's National Zoo early, as does push for donations to help cover high costs

Months before giant pandas make their highly anticipated return to Washington, the National Zoo has mounted an extensive publicity campaign, festooning the premises with announcements and soliciting donations to offset the high cost of hosting them.

Towering black-and-white banners and panda-themed decorations now greet zoo visitors, laying the groundwork for the arrival of two of the rare bears that have come to symbolise China's soft-power diplomacy.

"Definitely excited about the pandas," said a woman named Gabriele visiting with her children from Maryland on Saturday, adding that she would "for sure" come back to see them.

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Two other visitors noted they were unaware the prized animals had been gone from the zoo until they saw the banners proclaiming their return.

The zoo has launched an extensive publicity campaign ahead of the arrival of the two giant pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao. Photo: Smithsonian's National Zoo alt=The zoo has launched an extensive publicity campaign ahead of the arrival of the two giant pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao. Photo: Smithsonian's National Zoo>

Last week, officials at the zoo, which is part of the Smithsonian Institution, said two pandas - Bao Li and Qing Bao - would arrive in Washington by the end of this year.

The departure in November of the zoo's previous resident bears left uncertainty, as there was no agreement in place to secure a new pair.

Since the first two arrived as a token of friendship in 1972, giant pandas have proved to be among the zoo's biggest attractions.

According to a zoo press release last month, "generations of visitors have stopped by" and millions more have watched the zoo's giant panda cam, which has garnered "more than 100 million page views since its launch in 2000".

The livestream, which went offline last November, will be relaunched once Bao Li and Qing Bao make their public debut.

The new loan contract runs for a term of 10 years, and the zoo will pay US$1 million a year to the China Wildlife Conservation Association in exchange for the pandas. The sum is intended to support research and conservation efforts.

Although US federal funding covers basic expenses like food and medicine for animals, it does not cover the panda loan fee or the full cost of the zoo's panda programme, which has an annual budget of US$2.8 million that includes the fee, the zoo said.

Soon after last week's announcement, the zoo kicked off its fundraising programme, with advertisements telling potential donors: "You can make a giant impact."

The sale of panda-themed merchandise is expected to help offset the cost of hosting the bears. Photo: SCMP alt=The sale of panda-themed merchandise is expected to help offset the cost of hosting the bears. Photo: SCMP>

The goal is to raise US$25 million to "secure a future for giant pandas at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and protect this magnificent bear species and the mountain forest habitats it calls home", the zoo's website read.

"While federal resources cover the zoo's essential needs for all the animals we care for, the remainder of our operating budget - including the giant panda conservation programme - comes from the support of zoo visitors, members and donors," it added.

With about two million people visiting the zoo annually, donations, memberships and other sales collectively contribute about three-quarters of its budget, according to the zoo.

A zoo visitor named Sydney from Maryland who browsed an on-site store displaying panda-themed T-shirts, hats, mugs, bags and other souvenirs described the limited-edition offerings as "really cool".

Her friend Andrew said he would have "no problem" paying extra for the pandas "like a US$5 entry fee", noting that entry to the zoo was free.

Gabriele echoed the sentiment, saying "people should definitely donate".

Not everyone voiced enthusiasm over the coming arrival of the pandas, which are no longer classified as endangered after decades of conservation efforts led by China.

A woman from Colorado said the world had more urgent issues to focus on.

"We have children to take care of, we have homeless people. We have a world full of violence," said the zoo visitor, who did not give her name. "We have too much to worry about to be worried about a panda."

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.