The Flagship
It is one of the most beautiful animals in the world. A large, tranquil creature, painted in black and white, with a cuddly fur and dark patches around the eyes that make him look like a melancholic teddy bear. It is vegetarian, the panel tells the visitors, not dangerous, rather peaceful and shy, solitary and – of course – nature-loving. All in all, there seems to be nothing unpleasant about the Giant Panda. Even when they are mating, individuals look as if they were only giving each other a big hug.
At the same time, it is one of the most endangered species in the world, due to its exclusive eating habits and slow reproduction. Pandas eat only 20 of the 300 species of bamboo, and need them in large quantities, as they are barely capable of digesting 15% of what they eat. Females are in heat only 3 days a year and, even if Pandas have a hard time in finding themselves in the wild, they wouldn't mate with every individual they encounter. Pregnancy lasts up to 180 days, and females are only capable of raising one cub. If two are born, one of them is left behind.
No wonder that the large bear cat, as the Chinese call it, has become a popular and powerful representative of wildlife conservation. It symbolizes the beauty of nature, its vulnerability and our own sadness about the seemingly unstoppable loss of nature and biodiversity on our planet. The charming animal with the sad look touches the hearts of people that hear its story – and motivates them to provide financing for its protection. It was only a logical step the Panda had been chosen as the emblem of a leading nature conservation organization: WWF.
Environmental managers call the Panda a flagship species and put it in one category with the Siberian Tiger, the Indian Elephant and the Great Apes. By promoting the protection of a much-loved animal, the idea goes, they will be able to preserve a whole ecosystem – with several thousands of other species that are not beautiful enough to spark much interest, such as insects and snails. The money flow from charitable and international donors triggered by a flagship can thus benefit all members of the ecological community.
The animals and plants of Wolong surely have a reason to thank the few Pandas that still roam the steep, forested slopes of the 5000m high mountains – although a lot of money remains earmarked for the flagship itself. Wolong employs an army of scientists, food specialists and rangers in its attempts to multiply the captive population and soon release Pandas in the wild, an impressive research center has been build years ago and the Panda's favourite bamboo species is now even grown by farmers and sold to the research center.
But although they receive more expensive care than any person living in the reserve boundaries, the pandas in the zoo-like research base might wonder about equity: After all, it is them who are adopted, attract the visitors and bring in the tourist dollar – but they have to spend a life sitting behind iron bars, walking in circles, while their fellows freely wander through the forests they have helped to protect. Life's not fair.
06.08.2006 01:16h
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