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"The fact that we can keep 100 pandas in a zoo is not, on its own, a positive conservation outcome." End the censorship of science I completely agree with Richard Gallagher?s suggestion to open all correspondence to the public after a five-year interim.1 Maybe names are still held confidential but review comments and correspondence should not remain a secret. An open policy would discourage politically charged decisions and enable the best scientific wo

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I completely agree with Richard Gallagher?s suggestion to open all correspondence to the public after a five-year interim.1 Maybe names are still held confidential but review comments and correspondence should not remain a secret. An open policy would discourage politically charged decisions and enable the best scientific work to reach the broader scientific community and public.

NA Christian
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
naronson@seas.upenn.edu

In ?Year of the panda,"1 China?s Conservation International director asks an interesting question: Why do you need so many pandas?

The number of individuals per species is a good indicator to assess the state of any given community. But this is only true when those individuals perform their role in the ecosystem. The fact that we can accomplish something as remarkable as keeping 100 pandas in a zoo does not make it, on its own, a positive conservation outcome.

Daniel Abugattas
Cayetana Heredias University
Lima, Peru
dabugattas@csa-upch.org

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