Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 31, 2012, 6:03 PM. Giant Pandas are shy creatures (even in captivity, it's hard to get a clear photo). They hide among the two dozen species of bamboo planted at one large Corralitas lot. (Click on photos to enlarge.)
As a creative way to stave off foreclosure and pay ever increasing water bills, one enterprising Corralitas Drive homeowner announced the opening of a Giant Panda Preserve on the grounds of a large, double, hillside lot.
The homeowner is working in partnership with the Hunan Panda Preserve, officially sanctioned by the Chinese government. Under the loan agreement, any pandas born on the Corralitas site will be returned to the Chinese Provence of Hunan for wild release after 2 years. Giant Pandas are an endangered species.
Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 31, 2012, 5:58 PM. Giant pandas eat 26 to 83 pounds of bamboo a day.
The homeowner is grateful to have the blessings of the Mayor & City Councilmember as the R2 zoning restrictions were pretty tough to get around. At the public hearing last month, the City Councilmember remarked, "Those pandas are so cute & cuddly, how could you not want them next door to your house!"
The Mayor saw it as a great commitment to trade with the China. "This is a win-win for Los Angeles and endangered species." The Mayor also credited the Corralitas homeowner for arranging the panda loan, after the City again failed to secure pandas for the LA Zoo.
The homeowner is already eyeing vacant lots in the neighborhood, with the vision of expanding the Corralitas Panda Preserve. "Since the native trees have already been cut down on the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract and development seems to have already ground to a halt, I've submitted a bid to purchase the nearly 4-acre hillside tract. It's perfectly suited to bamboo forest with its high water table."
Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 31, 2012, 6 PM.
The homeowner sees a 60' tall bamboo forest taking over the hills north of Elysian Park. The Corralitas Red Car Property could be turned into a bamboo forest, but it's more arid than Semi Tropic. The homeowner thinks with enough water, any lot can be turned into a non-native, invasive forest.
The mile-long, 100'-wide shape of the Red Car Property is ideal for a tourist tram to view the pandas in the wild of Silver Lake. The proximity of Allesandro Elementary School would provide a unique learning experience for the students who might never see a panda in the wild.
Disclaimer: This post should not be used for anything other than April Foolishness.
Learn more about real conservation efforts for Giant Pandas: World Wildlife Fund.
See also: San Diego Zoo Panda Cam.
