CONFIDENTIAL
198
布政司署
香港下亞
畢道
*** OUR Ref.: CR 5/581/77
* YOUR Ref.:
W E/Quantrill Esq
Hong Kong & General Department
F CO
feci Bill,
PANDAS FOR HONG KONG
GOVERNMEnt secRETARIAT
LOWER ALBERT ROAD
HONG KONG
7 November, 1978.
Th
HKK 020!!
は
PA
15
8 14/11
The local Ocean Park is always on the look out for new and attractive exhibits. They have recently been offered the loan of two pandas from the Canton Zoo. When the idea of exhibiting Chinese pandas here was first mooted over a year ago, we were anxious to prevent the Ocean Park going ahead too rapidly since they did not then seem to have considered sufficiently the problems of feeding and housing the pandas. We did not wish to face the furore that would ensue if Chinese pandas died in Hong Kong owing to inadequate arrangements.
2.
The present scheme is more realistic than that originally being considered. Canton Zoo will loan the pandas for exhibition for three months between December this year and February next. The zoo will send staff to inspect and approve the facilities and will also send people to look after the pandas while they are here. Because the three months chosen are during the winter cool period, the danger of disease is much reduced.
3.
The Chinese suggested that there should be no prior publicity about the loan since they wanted to avoid large crowds coming to see the pandas on their immediate arrival. This approach suits us. Nevertheless, it is almost inevitable that news about the pandas will leak out in advance, if only because a lot of people in the Ocean Park must know about it and they will have to build suitable cages.
4.
The pandas are bound to be a great attraction. Ocean Park have been told that they must make adequate arrangements and they will be given all the discreet help they need from the government.
No doubt too there will
/contd.
CONFIDENTIAL
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