PANDAS FROM CHINA

Motion Text

That this House expresses its concern at the proposal by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) to lease two giant pandas from a research centre in China for exhibition and captive breeding at Edinburgh Zoo; considers that there are serious animal welfare problems attached to the keeping of giant pandas in zoos; notes that captive breeding of giant pandas has resulted in no successful reintroduction to the wild; believes that the best way to conserve the giant panda population is to support in situ projects such as panda reserves and habitat conservation; urges the RZSS to reconsider this plan; and requests the Scottish and UK Governments not to become involved in using live animals as currency in the course of diplomatic exchange.