Fans of Tai Shan enjoyed their last moments with the National Zoo’s celebrity panda today. He is set to fly back to China Thursday, along with Zoo Atlanta’s Mei Lan, to participate in a mating program.
Washingtonians were able to enjoy Tai Shan for four and a half years, over twice as long as the original two-year agreement made with China. The Chinese government loaned his parents, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo for $10 million.
Under the agreement, Tai Shan is technically property of China once old enough to father cubs. Now in his adolescence, Tai Shan has reached that age.
FedEx will fly Tai Shan to China to live in the Bifengxia Panda Base in the Sichuan province where he will participate in a mating study.
Chinese scientists are trying to increase the numbers of giant pandas living in the wild. With a population of 1,600, they are classified as an endangered species.
Many DC residents will miss Tai Shan, but his parents will still be on display through 2010, with a possible extension.
-Joseph Rabinowitz
-Joseph Rabinowitz
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