Zoo has a bun in the oven

[Clobber]

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local/...5551537,00.html

One of our pandas is pregnant! Congratulations to Ya Ya. Great development for the Memphis Zoo.

[Rural King]

Wow this is great news for the zoo! Its very hard and rare to breed pandas in captivity, so the ability of the Memphis Zoo to pull it off is a great achievement and puts the institution in a very good light.

[Fellowmann20]

Even when the zoo has to send the pandas back to China (I forgot when that was), will the zoo be able to keep the cub?

[watnow1425]

The contract ends 2013. I though I heard the newsguy say we would keep it but you never know.

[Clobber]

I'm sure we'll keep it unless it gets so diluted (so many zoos get pandas) that it's not worth the cost (essentially a franchise fee). Did SD, DC, and ATL keep their cubs? I kind of doubt it. Do we have any white tigers? I'd love to see some of those. Or white lions. (Not the band )

[Memphis Love]

I'm so excited about this, interesting this happened after the other bears in town, the Grizzlies made bad press.

I'm so glad we have the pandas!

[Fellowmann20]

Well I was just wondering if they would keep the cub, because it would be useless to have a panda exhibit without pandas.

[G-townTN]

From what I understand, the baby panda will stay in memphis during it nurturing stage, maybe a couple of months, after that it will be sent back to china. All the pandas in the world are owned by the chinese government and they can take them back whenever they want. I think we are leasing the two pandas for something like $1 million a year for the length of our agreement. After that it all depends on china as to the pandas fate in memphis. It is such a hassle to have pandas and that is why only 4 zoos in america have them.

[hgupta]

It is such a hassle to have pandas and that is why only 4 zoos in america have them.

[DoctorGonzo]

Well I was just wondering if they would keep the cub, because it would be useless to have a panda exhibit without pandas.

[Memphis Love]

Good Idea....can be called the "Panda Pyramid"

[Fellowmann20]

In that case they could always move it to the Pyramid.