Comments on: Pandas: Let ‘em die?

By: dennis

dennis — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:39:26 +0000

Pandas are cute. Elephant seals are not cute, no one wants to save an animal who looks it has a large welt on its nose. Thus Pandas make a good spokesman for endangered creatures everywhere, sorry star-nosed moles and spiny anteaters…

By: metakid

metakid — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:28:23 +0000

I think we shouldn’t shirk our responsibility in conserving pandas, even if there’s going to be a massive price tag. If you want to go the cost-profit analysis way, there’s no doubt pandas are money spinners. Liked it how this video sums it pretty much it all: http://www.newsy.com/videos/adapt_or_die. Plus it’s got great videos of pandas fooling around.

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By: Lib

Lib — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:44:50 +0000

Nice article and one that is more and more pertinent. I don’t begin to have an answer, but it does raise some interesting questions regarding how we perceive individuals and whole populations. Some more musings on this idea at http://bit.ly/OcY3m

By: EvoDad

EvoDad — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:40:49 +0000

David Quammen wrote about a similar question but in reference to island species, and raised some very nice points which apply here. Are pandas destined for extinction? Yes. Is there anything we can do to save them (in the wild)? Probably not in the long run? Should we try? Hell yes, we should try. Pandas have become a big, furry, charismatic symbol of the conservation movement (WWF, anyone). While Luiz raises a crucial point that resources are limited and we need to take a triage approach, we should remember that saving habitat in the name of giant pandas will be beneficial to the myriad other organisms in and around that habitat. Plus, if the sight of a baby panda motivates someone to give to the WWF or another such organization, the heightened awareness is a victory in and of itself.

By: Luiz Bento

Luiz Bento — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:05:11 +0000

I think you did not get the point of the discussion. The problem is that we don´t have enough money to preserve all species. We need ASAP to apply the “triage” practice in conservation. Money must be used wisely, based on scientific points. Ecological value, extinction risk, probability of species recovery, among others…