Animal kingdom pandas?

[old lady]

Why hasn't China loan Giant Pandas, or Snow leopards or golden monkeys to Disney Animal kingdom?

 

[kadrachb]

I think for the pandas it is just too expensive. A 'baby' tax of $600,000 and then an annual fee of $1,000,000. It's been shown that panda exhibits actually lose money. And the first set of panda's at the Smithsonian were actually diplomatic gifts.

 

[wilkeliza]

It is so expensive and the frank answer would be that Disney doesn't particularly like when someone else owns their stuff. No one is allowed to own a panda except China even when said panda is from the money and breeding program of a zoo outside of China so I'm sure while they are awesome to see and super cute Disney doesn't want the hassle of having to pay China and the strings that come with that to have them on view.