Chris Packham, host of a BBC nature show, recently created an international stir when he suggested that pandas should be allowed to go extinct. In his statements he questioned whether it was wise to allocate so much funding towards saving an animal that’s ‘not very bright, doesn’t reproduce well in captivity, and is unfortunate enough to reside in the world’s most populous nation.’
I personally don’t think pandas should be written off, however I do think Packham made some good points and anything that gets people talking about conservation can only be a good thing.
China however does not agree and his comments have been viewed by the nation as slanderous to their most loved and iconic animal. The story made it onto the front page of almost every Chinese newspaper and let’s just say the coverage was not exactly balanced.
