China has used pandas as goodwill ambassadors for centuries. In our modern times, they are offered on an annual lease for a million dollars; and, apparently, it’s worth the investment: in 1985, the Toronto Zoo made an extra six-million dollars in revenue for the one-hundred days that a pair of pandas was on loan.

(image: flikr_mush2274)

China is about to loan a pair of pandas to the Toronto Zoo (Katie Gray, a zoo spokeswoman, all but confirmed the rumor: “Until there is a formal announcement, we have no further comment.”).

But, really: should pandas be used as a diplomatic and economic tool? These are endangered animals. Give them some dignity, and ensure they are protected in their natural habitat: don’t fly them around the world to be gawked at.