Officials weigh up US$1m annual fee for bears
For a small bear, Tai Shan has caused a big stir at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington.
But behind the excitement surrounding the giant panda cub's glittering public debut last week lie concerns that China's best-loved export is too big a financial strain for America's zoos.
Officials at the four US zoos that lease giant pandas from China have called for the US$1 million annual fees they have to pay for each animal to be halved.
Unless the dues are slashed, they warn, some zoos could ultimately be forced to send their pandas packing, ending an important international bond that has pumped tens of millions of US dollars into efforts to save the species from extinction.
But Chinese authorities 'haven't really been receptive' to the idea of negotiating a cheaper deal for San Diego Zoo, whose 10-year lease will be the first of the four to come up for renewal in two years.