EDINBURGH Zoo is considering introducing a pre-booking system to cope with the expected demand to see its giant pandas.
The zoo is currently negotiating with the Chinese government over exactly when the animals will arrive, with the recent Sichuan earthquake raising the possibility it could be even earlier than the originally discussed arrival date of next spring.
Thousands of visitors are expected to arrive daily to see the animals if an initial agreement to bring them to the zoo is concluded, as Edinburgh would be one of only a handful of cities outside south-east Asia to house giant pandas.
The animals have been dubbed "the rock-stars" of the animal world because of their pulling power, and some zoos have seen their visitor numbers double after the introduction of the endangered species.
A new enclosure has still to be created for the breeding pair, being brought to the zoo as part of its efforts to help conservation.
And bosses at the attraction, run by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, are currently considering the effect their arrival could have.
The plans are in the very early stages, but early ideas have included setting an upper limit on the daily number of visitors to the panda enclosure.
Tickets could then be booked in advance, ensuring that hundreds of visitors were not left disappointed, and also serving to keep down queues and reduce potential traffic problems.
It is expected that the tickets would not carry an extra charge, but would be included in the price of a normal zoo ticket.
The potential problems the zoo could face were brought home to staff last month, when the May Day bank holiday saw attendance figures reach their highest for 20 years.
Almost 10,000 visitors flocked through the gates in one day, and while staff were able to cope, the sheer volume caused problems in certain areas of the zoo, and outside, as queuing traffic tailed back on to Corstorphine Road, and visitors struggled to find a parking space.
A zoo spokeswoman said: "The May holiday was great for us, and it was amazing to see so many people visit in one day, but it was also a good indication of what we can expect when the pandas arrive. If that were to happen every day, it is likely there would be problems, particularly with the traffic.
"With that in mind, we are now looking at bringing in some kind of pre-booking system, which would be a first for the zoo. Obviously we want all our visitors to be able to see the pandas, but we need to have some way of controlling the expected crowds, and this could be the best solution."
The zoo offered aid to the Wolong Animal Sanctuary, which was affected by the recent earthquake.
Five staff at the reserve were killed, pandas have been reported missing and road closures wiped out the feeding schedule.
Chinese officials are still assessing the situation, and what it will mean for the expected arrival of a breeding pair of giant pandas, aged two or three.
Sources suggested the government may look to send the animals over sooner than expected.
• www.edinburghzoo.org.uk
The full article contains 550 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
