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December 4, 2009

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Casino plan for panda exhibit draws fire

Monday, July 15, 2002 | 11:13 a.m.

Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino is exploring plans to build a $10 million, glass-domed pavilion to house two giant pandas, the Washington Post reported Sunday.

The Las Vegas Strip resort's plan has roused the ire of some environmentalists, who say they are upset about the prospect of commercially exploiting the endangered species, which are native to China.

John Marz, Mandalay Bay's vice president of marketing, could not immediately be reached for comment Monday.

Preliminary plans call for a glass domed pavilion to house two pandas and carry on research for propagating the species, while allowing millions of people to see the animals each year, the Post reported.

The casino company submitted a letter of intent to Chinese government officials last year and met recently with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials and representatives of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, a group that advises the government on applications for the coveted creatures, the newspaper said.

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