Yeah, browsing the internet, as you do, and I found some startling figures...

- for pandas in the USA, they have them on a lease from China, on 10 year contracts, for around $1million dollars. A baby pandas is roughly another $600,000, and the zoos that lease pandas have to sponsor Chinese and USA research program (Apparently as part of the contract). And of course, specialised zoo-keepers, and bamboo, storage. I reckon baby-pandas in the USA could easily go over the $2.5m mark. 

Pandas are also five times more expensive than the next-most-expensive animal - an elephant.

Although, other countries have far lower costs, I personally have a moral objection to the way Pandas are effectively sold; yes, they have upkeep costs and sponsoring Panda research is great, but I cant help but feel that they're being effectively sold.

And then there was the China/Taiwan Panda Politics fiasco (MNSBC , Chigaco Tribune , Xinhua)

I love pandas, and they're extraordinarily cute creatures, but I think some things are just wrong...Taiwan's president made the right, if difficult choice though - "Although pandas are cute and adorable, they are living things and not toys,' [he] said, stressing that animals should never be used as political tools."

 (Sourced mainly from www.pandafix.com, although the opinons are entirely my own and are in no way those of pandafix )