In 2014, despite the disapproval by conservationist groups and Friends of the Orangutans, two pandas from China were loaned for ten years to Zoo Negara Malaysia, a controversial zoo in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.

The transfer of pandas to Zoo Negara was not related to conservation initiatives, although that is the impression the public may be receiving. It happened for political reasons.

A former Malaysian tourism minister claimed that the presence of pandas would increase tourism numbers.

The custody of the pandas at Zoo Negara comes at a substantial price:

• RM25 million was spent to build the panda complex centre [1]
• RM9 million for the annual upkeep of the pandas. Which totals up to RM90 by 2024 [2]

If the pandas remain at Zoo Negara until 2024 a whopping figure of at least RM100 million will have needlessly been spent.

Since 2019 Zoo Negara has complained about lack of funds. The zoo has been hit harder financially in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Professor Marc Bekoff, Professor of Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, USA:

“My view is regardless of whether they are an important source of revenue, we do not need any more pandas in captivity. We should stop breeding them right away. And they are not ambassadors for their species.”

Hosting the pandas at Zoo Negara is a financial burden and complete waste of money. The millions of ringgit spent on the upkeep of the pandas would be better spent on preserving the habitats of Malaysian wildlife and other genuine conservation projects.

According to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Malaysia, a 10-year agreement to keep the pandas ends in 2024.

Sign and share this petition to ask Dato’ Dr Shamsul Anuar Bin Hj Nasarah, Minister of the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry (KeTSA), to initiate the return of the Zoo Negara pandas to China.

The pandas should be returned as soon as possible if the cost of annulling the agreement to return pandas is lower than the total cost incurred by keeping the bears at Zoo Negara until 2024.

[1] https://www.astroawani.com/berita-malaysia/tarikh-ketibaan-panda-ke-malaysia-ditunda-33679

[2] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/4/7/what-is-the-true-cost-of-a-panda