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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not care a jot about the panda?

108 replies

FreakinScaryCaaw · 29/10/2013 21:56

Just been to visit them at the zoo. As I expected it's asleep. Sleeps 16 hours a day. The male one's ill so can't be on show. So we spend 10 minutes in a room with a video of it actually moving whilst it sleeps in a corner.

Maybe there's a reason it's only in season for 2 days a year? God's trying to tell us something surely? Wink

One horned Rhinos on the other hand are the dog's bollocks. And if you hear one fart you're in for a treat. Fantastic!

OP posts:
HesterShaw · 29/10/2013 23:09

Evolutionary dead end, if you ask me.

We would be better off putting all the investment and effort into saving lots more more important species, like sharks and bees.

However pandas look cute and cuddly.

Original poster
FreakinScaryCaaw · 29/10/2013 23:10

Yes to bees too. We'll be fucked without them.

OP posts:
NewtRipley · 30/10/2013 06:30

Although Pandas weren't put on this earth to amuse us, they are boring.

Battersea Zoo is a lovely one for little children

nameuschangeus · 30/10/2013 06:46

In defence of the panda I saw one at London Zoo a good few years back which really knew how to give value for money. It hung upside down from the roof of its cage and really performed for the crowd. My niece asked if it was a man in a suit it was so lively. On the basis if this alone I think we should give them the benefit if the doubt Wink

livinginwonderland · 30/10/2013 06:48

Edinburgh Zoo in general really disappointed me. I'd heard such good things about it but it looked so run down and the enclosures were tiny especially for the tigers and big cats :(

Morloth · 30/10/2013 06:57

Pointless creatures who sole survival strategy appears to be being cute to humans.

Cats do something similar but are much much better at it.

HesterShaw · 30/10/2013 08:44

But cats are domesticated. Rightly or wrongly, we have bred them to amuse us. Pandas, if left well alone, ought to be able to get along ok by themselves. Some evidence says they would probably not be able to - hence the term evolutionary dead end. Disclaimer: am not an expert in panda evolution and am mainly parroting Chris Packham.

So many species are struggling and much more important for biodiversity. I said sharks and bees before - I can't think of two any more important.

kali110 · 30/10/2013 08:47

Im going to come back as a panda. Or a cat.

tobiasfunke · 30/10/2013 08:49

For the love of god won't you think about the poor penguins. For years Edinburgh zoo was all about the penguins and now they have been sidelined for stupid big bears that sleep all the time. I bet they're not bitter.

Morloth · 30/10/2013 08:50

Biodiversity is screwed, the Matrix robots were right, we are like a virus, we will burn everything up until there isn't anything left to burn and then we will die.

The planet will be fine, new species will evolve.

We are not as important or as original as we think we are.

MiaowTheCat · 30/10/2013 08:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mrsjay · 30/10/2013 08:54

I watched a programme 100 years of edinburgh zoo and they used to walk the penguins about the zoo and then out and down the street imagine going down the shops and a penguin parade passes you i think that would be awesome

HesterShaw · 30/10/2013 08:58

Yeah alright Morloth. That's exactly my point actually. We're not as important as we think we are, therefore it is right and proper to stop fucking things up so much. The "planet" includes everything that was living on it before we started messing it all up. Left to its own devices, the sea for instance, would contain a lot more than jellyfish, which is more or less what would happen if removing all apex predators is taken to its logical conclusion. That has already happened in some places: it's not just theory.

Anyway, back to cuddly pandas....

SomethingOnce · 30/10/2013 08:59

But cats are domesticated. Rightly or wrongly, we have bred them to amuse us.

Wrong. Cats have bred us to serve them. They are very much having the last laugh.

HesterShaw · 30/10/2013 09:00

:o

Morloth · 30/10/2013 09:02

But we aren't fucking things up HesterShaw we are simply acting within the machine, not from outside of it.

One day we will be gone, there will be new apex predators. And the planet will keep turning and spinning around the sun, we are as pointless as the Panda in the grand scheme of things.

Pandas are cute but pointless therefore the cuteness was a clever move really. How many would be left right now if they were not cute? 0 is my thought.

cocoleBOO · 30/10/2013 09:08

Someone broke into Belfast Zoo and feed the penguibs to the lions Shock.
Four monkeys escaped last week, and one is still on the run.
They don't seem to have heard of locks.

HesterShaw · 30/10/2013 09:10

Ah, we'll have to disagree there Morloth

I can't look at an oil covered seabird flapping its wings hopelessly and just think "Ah, we're just working from within the machine." That guillemot has as much right to life as I do.

I won't carry on with this direction of conversation, as I'll just lose my temper and become ranty and undignified :)

glastocat · 30/10/2013 09:15

Koalas are much better than pandas, and very soft and fluffy too. They do have massive claws and chlamydia though.

glastocat · 30/10/2013 09:15

And wombats are better than anything.

Morloth · 30/10/2013 09:16

LOL, it is pointless anyway.

Humans are screwed, we will self destruct at some point.

Then it will be someone else's go.

Maybe the guillemots, who knows.

Morloth · 30/10/2013 09:17

Wombats and Koalas stink though.

And Koalas make a bloody awful sound at night when they are mating.

Sounds like a zombie invasion.

cocoleBOO · 30/10/2013 09:30

I thought koalas didn't do anything either, because they are stoned all the time.
I'm coming back as a koala btw Grin

MaryZombie · 30/10/2013 09:41

Koalas are revolting, and they all seem to have fleas.

Pandas are boring. And they aren't really cute, we just think they are because most of us having only seen them either asleep or stuffed.

gussiegrips · 30/10/2013 09:44

I went into labour at the zoo.

Big queue for the zebra bus and I had the lunch in an enormous rucksack - DH had toddled the kids up to the zebras where we were to meet.

My moronic thought process was "the kids will be hungry. He'll worry. I'll be fine walking up"

Oddly enough, loudly mooing like a wildebeest didn't bring hoardes of helpful folk my way. They just assumed it was a wildebeest.

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