Pandas deserve 10% of Macao land: expert

By Guo Jiaxue and Zhang Jin (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-12-20 20:51

MACAO: A conservation expert has proposed to earmark one tenth of Macao's land for the two pandas gifted by the central government.

"The panda habitat and related facilities should cover as big as 3 sq km," Ho Wai-tim, chairman of the Macao Ecological Society, told China Daily on Sunday. Macao has nearly 30 sq km of land.

He said the 5-sq-km Cotai, a newly reclaimed land between Taipa and Coloane, is the best place to build the habitat on.

It is traffic-friendly because Cotai is near a planned light rail line, he said. The plan will also help promote eco-tourism because Cotai is close to the Ecological Protection Zone of Macao.

The place has also won the approval of experts from Wolong Natural Reserve in Sichuan province after they visited many places in Macao in 2007.

"We will send the proposal to the Macao SAR government this week," Ho said, adding that city is ready to welcome the black-and-white bears.

About 20 people in Macao have received preliminary training on raising pandas in the past few years, Ho said.

Macao does not have a zoo, but some residents said either Floral Garden Park or Seac Pai Van Park - both keeping some animals - can be renovated into panda homes.

"I think Floral Garden Park is big enough for the pandas," an elderly surnamed Lee said. He lives near the park.