Pandas

We want to produce a magnificent illustrated book about the pandas at Schönbrunn Zoo. The book is to be published in German and English and tell the whole panda story on at least 168 pages: From the initial negotiations with China about sending Yang Yang and Long Hui to Vienna in 2003 to their current cubs, the twins Fu Feng and Fu Ban. We want to answer many exciting questions such as: What’s panda bread? What happens during medical training? Where does the bamboo come from? There will also be picture spreads and profiles of all the animals: Long Hui, Yang Yang, Fu Long, Fu Hu, Fu Bao, Fu Feng and Fu Ban.

Pandas have been delighting visitors at Schönbrunn Zoo for 15 years – I’ve been taking their pictures for 10 years. I’ll never forget the time when the first panda – Fu Long – was born at the zoo. That was the first time the zoo gave me the opportunity to take photos of the panda cub when it was still in the breeding den. We want to dedicate a book to these great animals with your help. Johanna, who is the press officer at the zoo, will interview all the people who are involved with the pandas at Schönbrunn Zoo. She’s going to get them to share their personal stories, anecdotes and, of course, their expert knowledge about the pandas: keepers, zoologists, veterinarians – all will have something to say.

The illustrated book is going to be a celebration of the successful panda breeding programme at Schönbrunn Zoo, take an exciting peek behind the scenes at the panda enclosure and raise awareness for this endangered species.

Key details about the book:
Format: 25x23 cm, landscape format
Size: 168 pages, German / English
Offset printing, hard cover
High-quality, PEFC-certified paper
Print run: 3,000 books
Publication date: December 2018
Sales price: € 29.90
Self-published

Kind regards,
Daniel

The aim is to produce an illustrated book that all panda fans and all fans of Schönbrunn Zoo in general will be able to really enjoy. The publication is planned for December – with plenty of time for Christmas. It’s important to us that the book is published in two languages – German and English – because Schönbrunn’s pandas have fans all over the world.

We’ll only be able to get this project that we wish to realise with all our heart off the ground with your support.

That’s why we collaborated with the panda team at the zoo to come up with a series of ideas for rewards that will only be available within the scope of this Startnext campaign. Centre stage will, of course, be taken by Yang Yang’s paintings. You can order the book at a special price, you can have your name immortalised in it or have it signed by Yang Yang.

But there’s lots more: There’s going to be an exclusive guided tour with panda expert Eveline Dungl before the zoo opens for the day, a photo workshop with Daniel at the zoo or elegantly framed bamboo branches that have been nibbled by the pandas at Schönbrunn.

The production of such a high-quality illustrated book is very, very expensive. The costs break down as follows:

• Professional layout
• Costs for the translation of the text into English of around € 3,000.00
• Printing
• Shipping

Additional costs: production and shipping of the rewards, 4 % transaction fees (min. € 1,000.00)

What will happen with € 25,000.00?
If we reach our first funding target of € 25,000.00, the book will in all events be produced and you will get your rewards. These costs will only cover the production of the book (for a print run of 3,000 copies) and the production and shipping of the rewards.

What will happen with € 35,000.00?
If we reach the second funding target of € 35,000.00, we’ll be able to broaden the book’s scope, increase the print run to 5,000 copies and produce the book with a high-quality dust jacket while covering at least some of the many hours of work that we’ve put into the project.

We believe in this project!
We’ve already started because we want get the book to you in time for Christmas. Daniel has started choosing photos, working on trial layouts, is continuing to take photos of the pandas while Johanna has already started her interviews. You won’t lose out if we don’t reach our funding targets because we won’t get any money – Startnext will refund it directly. But then we won’t be able to send you any rewards and the book won’t ever get printed.