Panda deposits

THE delay in the arrival of the two pandas at Edinburgh Zoo is just the latest mysterious twist in this sorry tale (your report, 23 November).

According to a recent BBC TV report, the pandas are going to cost the zoo £1,400,000 a year to lease from China.

I note from its accounts that the zoo had a £1.5 million deficit last year and this March it borrowed £2m from Lloyds TSB to cover operational costs and help provide the facilities required for the pandas.

After building a £300,000 enclosure for the bears, setting up a £70,000 annual contract to import Dutch bamboo for them to eat and spending who knows how much on cuddly toy pandas to sell in the gift shop in the run up to Christmas, perhaps the zoo is having problems raising the money for the bears’ air fares and any deposit the Chinese government might be looking for?

John F Robins,

Animal Concern

Dumbarton