15:08, UK, Tuesday 22 September 2009  Tv expert says let the
panda die out  Giant pandas cost too much to protect and should
be allowed to become extinct, television presenter Chris Packham
has declared.  The wildlife expert thinks the millions of pounds
spent on trying to save the species could be better spent on
other environmental projects.  In an interview with Radio Times,
he argues the money should be invested in the conservation of
environments with a diverse range of flora and fauna, such as
rainforests.  "It's time to give up on the cute and cuddly
because we just can't afford it and we need to think of a much
bigger picture," he says on his website.  It is estimated that
there are only around 1,600 of the black and white bears left in
China, with nearly 200 more being bred in captivity.  The
animals have become critically endangered as a result of their
natural habitat being destroyed and also their reluctance to
breed in the wild.  Mr Packham says ongoing breeding programmes
are pointless if there