How much do you think renting a Panda from China costs? The Tokyo Ueno Zoo recently found out that it’s not a cheap rental plan to get such a popular attraction.

In 2008 the Ueno Zoo’s panda died. Sad, yes, but when the Chinese government offered to replace it with two for pandas for the low low price of $950,000 a year. Yes, that’s right. A year.

At first the zoo declined the offer, only to find that zoo attendance also declined. It seems the Japanese public really like’s it’s pandas.

The new panda’s will arrive in 2011 where they will probably be given a golden bed to sleep on and all the bamboo they can eat.

(Via Tokyo Five)