Goddamn pandas

We went to the San Diego zoo last weekend. There was a line of people waiting to see the Great Pandas. Once we got into the panda enclosure, there were zoo volunteers who were shushing the excited tourists. "Shh! Don't disturb the pandas!". We were also not allowed to linger as there was a line of people waiting about 100 ft. long.

We also went to the reptile exhibit. Here, there was a poisonous Bermudan snake that is critically endangered; it's natural habitat has been reduced to 10 sq. mi. due to deforestation and development of tropical resorts. The only people looking at the snake were a bunch of punk kids banging on the glass of the poor snake's aquarium. There were no zoo personnel to been nearby.

OK, so pandas are endangered. But (speaking as a biologist) these things have pretty much evolved themselves into a dead end. They don't have much to blame for their endangered status except for their own evolutionary stupidity. The Bahaman snakes, however, can attribute the eminent demise to unabashed capitalistic human greed. I suppose I understand that pandas are much fuzzier and cuter than snakes, but I can't help but think: goddamn pandas.