AR-News: (China) Pandas make zoo attendance double in Thailand

[Animalara2003 at aol.com]

www.chinaview.cn 2004-03-07 18:29:18

    BANGKOK, March 7 (Xinhuanet) -- Director of the Zoological Park 
Organization disclosed that he would search for new animals to attract more visitors to 
Thailand's zoos, following a twofold increase in visitor numbers to the 
Chiang Mai Zoo as a result of the acquisition of two giant pandas from China. 
    Citing figures showing that the panda couple, "Chuang Chuang" and "Lin 
Hui" had led to a huge influx of visitors from Thailand and abroad, Sophon 
Dumnui was quoted by the Thai News Agency as saying Sunday that the Zoological Park 
Organization was now looking for other "unusual" animals for its other four 
zoos to display. 
    Before the acquisition of the two pandas, who have been described as 
"animal friendship ambassadors" from the Chinese government, the zoo in the 
northern city of Chiang Mai generally received around 600,000 visitors each year. 
    In the three months since the arrival of the pandas, however, over 
400,000 people have already visited the zoo, with visitor numbers for 2004 as a 
whole projected at over 1.2 million. 





full story:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-03/07/content_1350148.htm
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