Giant Panda taking a break in the Vienna Zoo... The Giant Panda is an endangered animal; an estimated 3,000 pandas live in the wild [2][3] and over 180 were reported to live in captivity by August 2006 in mainland China [3] (another source by the end of 2006 put the figure for China at 221 [4]), with twenty pandas living outside of China. Giant pandas are among the world's most adored and protected rare animals, and is one of the few in the world whose natural inhabitant status was able to gain a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation. The Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries, located in the southwest Sichuan province and covering 7 natural reserves, was inscribed onto the World Heritage List in 2006. Pandas in zoos A 2006 New York Times article [3] outlined the economics of keeping pandas, which costs five times more than that of the next most expensive animal, an elephant. American zoos must pay the Chinese government $2 million a year in fees, part of what is typically a ten-year contract. San Diego's contract with China is the first to expire, in 2008. The last contract in Memphis ends in 2013. North America As of early 2007, five major North American zoos have giant pandas: San Diego Zoo, San Diego, California - home of Bai Yun (F), Gao Gao (M), Mei Sheng (M), and a female cub named Su Lin US National Zoo, Washington, D.C. - home of Mei Xiang (F), Tian Tian (M), and a male cub named Tai Shan Zoo Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia - home of Lun Lun (F), Yang Yang (M), and a female cub named Mei Lan (F) Memphis Zoo, Memphis, Tennessee - home of Ya Ya (F) and Le Le (M) Chapultepec Zoo, Mexico City - home of Shuan Shuan, Xin Xin, and Xi Hua, all females Notable North American-born pandas Tai Shan, born July 9, 2005 at the National Zoo in Washington. Su Lin, born August 2, 2005 at the San Diego Zoo. Mei Lan, born September 6, 2006 at Zoo Atlanta. Europe Two zoos in Europe show giant pandas: Zoologischer Garten Berlin, Berlin, Germany - home of Bao Bao, age 27, the oldest male panda living in captivity; he has been in Berlin for 25 years and has never reproduced. Tiergarten Schönbrunn, Vienna, Austria - home to two pandas (a male and a female) born in Wolong, China in 2000.