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Bamboo to fuel bid for panda?
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Albuquerque Biological Park officials are planting six acres and 23 varieties of bamboo within the Rio Grande Botanic Garden, said park Director Ray Darnell.
"It's a very hearty plant once you get it going," Darnell said.
Darnell has been working with the San Diego Zoo on a plan that would bring one of their four giant pandas - 2-year-old Mei Sheng - to the Rio Grande Zoo.
The city first needs approval from China, which owns the pandas and loans them to four U.S. zoos that exhibit the rare animals.
Darnell last week sent a letter to the Chinese government requesting permission for Albuquerque officials, including him and Mayor Martin Chavez, to visit and discuss the panda plans. The city is awaiting a response.
"One of the things you have to do to have a panda is have a food source," Darnell said. "You also should have a food source on site for the ability to get it really quickly."
Pandas on average eat 25 to 50 pounds of bamboo, Darnell said.
Mei Sheng eats between 15 and 22 pounds of bamboo out of the 61 pounds he's offered, said Yadira Galindo, a spokeswoman for the San Diego Zoo.
And Mei Sheng is still growing.
His father, Gao Gao, was recently eating about 33 pounds a day, she said.
Luckily, it grows fast and Albuquerque's crop should cover Mei Sheng's needs, Darnell said.
"Some of it's like a weed. If you planted it in your yard, you might not want it," he said.
The bamboo is paid for from $41,000 within the city budget that also covers the cost of a master gardener, Darnell said.
The zoo was aided in choosing the bamboo by Adam Turtle, a Tennessee man who Darnell said is the "world's foremost expert" on bamboo.
The bamboo won't go to waste should Albuquerque's panda project fall through.
Other zoo animals, such as gorillas, enjoy bamboo leaves, he said.
And bamboo is a versatile plant that can also be used to adorn other Asian-themed exhibits.
"You can hide a building with it," Darnell said. "You can build enclosures so animals can be secure."
