Are U.S. Zoos Getting Out of the Panda Business?

In this Feb. 28 post by the San Diego Zoo's panda team, Don Lindburg emphasizes the value of having giant pandas in the US for more than just a zoo's bottom line.

What is the cost of a giant panda loan from China? All zoos have agreed to pay an annual fee of one million dollars for each pair, and a one-time fee of not more than $600,000 for each surviving cub. But an even greater cost is that of doing research at home and in China. This is an enhancement activity that is mandated by law. All pandas in the U.S. are therefore imported for research purposes, not for breeding or exhibitry.
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In my role as giant panda species coordinator for North American zoos, I repeatedly heard comments that the cost of keeping pandas was not offset by the revenues they generated, so I asked for help in doing a cost/benefit analysis of zoos’ cumulative experience. When the bill was totaled for all four zoos having pandas, it indicated that so far the cost of keeping them is substantially more than the revenues they generate. The existing loan agreement for Bai Yun and Gao Gao expires in 2008. Does this mean that unless costs are reduced, a day may soon come when San Diego will be without pandas?
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While it is certainly the case that if each species cost zoos more than its capacity to encourage visitation by the public, zoos would soon be out of business. But for us, this is not a commercial enterprise. We are in the conservation business, and the benefits to conservation of giant pandas have been substantial. When we focus on the benefits side of the equation, we see compelling reasons for continuing the loan program.