HAMPSHIRE wildlife expert Chris Packham last night defended his controversial view that giant pandas should be left to become extinct with dignity.

Southampton-born Chris told the Daily Echo that he hoped his comments about giant pandas would act as a wake up call to the conservation world.

The Springwatch presenter believes too much is being spent on individual species like the giant panda and that money could be better spent on other projects.

Chris, 48, said it wasn’t a personal attack on the giant panda but an attack on the “conservative ways we’re attacking conservation”.

He said: “There are people out there who would say I was playing God, I would say to those people, you chose the cuddly one over the ugly one, if that’s not playing God then what is.”

He wants cash targeted to preserve areas of high bio-diversity where there are a huge number of different life forms.

“Species becoming extinct is something we’re going to have to get used to. It’s going to happen a lot,” he added.

“I wanted to raise this issue to make a move on the conservation world, to modernise it.

“I fear complacency and things are going to get really tough. I think throwing loads of money at giant pandas is not the best way of doing it.”

Conservation group WWF, formerly the World Wildlife Fund, said it did not believe that the ex- University of Southampton student’s comments had been helpful.

Its conservation science advisor Mark Wright told the Daily Echo: “Chris has taken an unhelpful position. Giant pandas can function and survive perfectly well if they’re given space to do so – which is exactly what we’re working to achieve.

“We agree that conservation work does involve some extremely hard decisions about how to spend limited resources and the WWF chooses to work in areas that are rich in bio-diversity and under threat.

“Our work with pandas in China will remain a priority, not least because, in protecting the mountain areas where pandas live, we’re also retaining vital habitat and resources for thousands of other species (many also endangered) and helping the human communities.”

A spokesman for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust said: “We endorse his approach to restoring habitats and landscapes and making it possible to farm with the environment in mind.”