Are Pandas Worth It?

Much loved TV Wildlife presenter and smiths fan Chris Packham has caused a bit of a fuss by arguing that we shoudl give up the conservation fight to save the panda. See: http://www.wildlifeextra.com//go/news/packham-panda342.html#cr

Now. I think that pandas may indeed by outdated, unsuited to the modern world and a bit pointless. But then again, so are, for example, churches, antique works of art and most things preserved as 'sacred' by the heritage industries. Look at the Cutty Sark for example. When that burnt to a crisp, was there a debate (outside this forum that is) about whether to 'rebuild', even though pretty much all of the original ship timber was unsalvagable, rendering whatever eventually becomes known as 'Cutty Sark' in future about as authentic as The Sugababes. No there wasn't. So the decision was immediately made that the ship should be 'rebuilt' (for which, read ' a new one should be built that we can hang the preserved decorations from the old one on) for the nation. So I say this: If the cutty sark and Mona Lisa are worth preserving because of what they represent or because of their timeless beauty, then so is the panda.