On Loan from China

bauermanbauerman Registered Users Posts: 452 Major grins
edited October 26, 2007 in Wildlife
Recently had the opportunity to shoot at the San Diego Zoo while on vacation with my family. (We always travel to such destinations in the off season to avoid crowds and high prices.) We were most excited to see the Pandas as we had missed them on our last visit to the zoo. Luckily for us, on this trip they did have one out and about for us to view.

You have to almost line up to view these pandas, you walk slowly through the viewing area and then get back in line if you would like to spend more time with these magnificent animals. There is someone sitting in a chair with a microphone giving you interesting facts about the animals and always telling people to keep the line moving!

You don't get to see pandas at many zoos and so we spent a lot of time there with this one on our day there. All pandas in the US are simply on loan from the Chinese government. The San Diego Zoo pays more than 1 million dollars per year to have the right to display these animals. When you hear things like that - the entry fees don't really bother you as bad.

Thanks for taking a look and God bless everyone living in this area at this time of devastation.

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Perhaps the greatest social service that can be rendered by anybody to this country and to mankind is to bring up a family. - George Bernard Shaw

Comments

  • leaforteleaforte Registered Users Posts: 1,948 Major grins
    edited October 25, 2007
    Nice shots. I get a sad feeling inside when I gaze at the second photograph and consider the title "On Loan". I'm not sure if you meant that, but with that title, that photo is powerfull, and makes me think about what we are doing to the world. Thanks for sharing. :cry
    Growing with Dgrin



  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited October 25, 2007
    wave.gif Jared good to see you again :D

    Love the panda!
    Andy

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  • bauermanbauerman Registered Users Posts: 452 Major grins
    edited October 25, 2007
    leaforte wrote:
    Nice shots. I get a sad feeling inside when I gaze at the second photograph and consider the title "On Loan". I'm not sure if you meant that, but with that title, that photo is powerfull, and makes me think about what we are doing to the world. Thanks for sharing. :cry

    Thanks much for your comments and kind words. My wife gets pretty disheartened at times seeing animals like this one in a zoo. But when you consider some of the alternatives, what zoos like the San Diego Zoo provide is hopefully the chance to keep these species around so that our kids can take a look at them as well.

    A baby panda was just born recently in San Diego which was quite an event from what I heard when we were there. We were hoping to see the baby when we were there, but no such luck.

    Thanks again.
    Perhaps the greatest social service that can be rendered by anybody to this country and to mankind is to bring up a family. - George Bernard Shaw
  • bauermanbauerman Registered Users Posts: 452 Major grins
    edited October 25, 2007
    Andy wrote:
    wave.gif Jared good to see you again :D

    Love the panda!

    Good to be seen Andy - its a big scary photo forum world out there and Dgrin is one of the few remaining outposts of sanity it seems at times.

    Hope things are well with you.
    Perhaps the greatest social service that can be rendered by anybody to this country and to mankind is to bring up a family. - George Bernard Shaw
  • dbaker1221dbaker1221 Registered Users Posts: 4,482 Major grins
    edited October 26, 2007
    great shotsclap.gif
    **If I keep shooting, I'm bound to hit something**
    Dave
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