American-Born Panda To Meet Public In Southwest China

[Judi Lynn]

March 06, 2010 15:04 PM
American-Born Panda To Meet Public In Southwest China

CHENGDU, March 6 (Bernama) -- Tai Shan, a giant panda born in the United States, will greet the public on March 9 at a panda breeding base in southwest China's Sichuan Province, China's Xinhua news agency reported.

The 4-year-old male would conclude his one-month quarantine and debut at the the Ya'an Bifeng Gorge Breeding Base of the Wolong Giant Panda Protection and Research Centre, said Li Desheng, the center's deputy director.

Tai Shan, who was born in July 2005 and raised at the National Zoo of Washington D.C., arrived at the centre on Feb 5.

After spending more than 20 days together, Tai Shan and his keeper, Wu Daifu, have been familiar with each other, Li said, adding that the panda could understand some Sichuan dialect now.

More:
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsworld.php?id=480216

http://www.pandafix.com.nyud.net:8090/pandafix/images/r4012526033.jpg http://blogs.gwhatchet.com.nyud.net:8090/btb/files/2009/12/TaiShan_MeiXiang.jpg

Tai Shan with mother, Mei Xiang

http://askmissa.com.nyud.net:8090/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Tai-Shan.jpg

http://dsc.discovery.com.nyud.net:8090/news/2006/07/10/gallery/panda_zoom.jpg

http://scienceblogs.com.nyud.net:8090/retrospectacle/upload/2006/07/panda%201.jpg

Tai Shan, 1st birthday at the National Zoo
More:
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsworld.php?id=480216

[hyphenate]

1. he is just so adorable!!!!!! eom

[flamingdem]

2. PANDA!!!

I didn't know you are into pandas Judy. He looks healthy.

[Judi Lynn]

3. The only time I ever liked any Bush official was when Robert Zoellick visited China's pandas

and appeared in publicity photos with them.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn.nyud.net:8090/english/doc/2006-01/25/xin_03010325151830310281.jpg http://wwwimage.cbsnews.com.nyud.net:8090/images/2006/01/25/image1236355x.jpg http://www.chinadaily.com.cn.nyud.net:8090/china/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20090522/0013729e41140b807b1839.jpg

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick cuddles a 5-month-old panda cub during a trip to a research center in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province January 25, 2006. "For more than 30 years, pandas have been a very practical symbol of the conservation relationship between the United States and China," Zoellick told reporters later, standing beside an outdoor pen as two adult pandas wrestled inside. Zoellick ended his three-day visit to China Wednesday.

http://thinkprogress.org.nyud.net:8090/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/zoellickpanda.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com.nyud.net:8090/127/382909598_4c8ccd8652_m.jpg
Hoping Tai Shan will have a more enjoyable life in China, as he never had any companionship from the time he was weaned and had to leave his mother and live by himself with his zoo handlers, etc.

Maybe they didn't want him forming any attachments in Washington, D.C., since he was going to have to go to China to live as an adult.

Tai Shan is a WONDERFUL, intelligent creature. It's great knowing the US sent him to China in glowing health, ready to start his adult life in his ancestral home.

Here's the slideshow of Tai Shan's time at the National Zoo:
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/TaiShan/default.cfm

I miss that panda already!
http://www.zefrank.com.nyud.net:8090/web/64.jpg

[flamingdem]

4. He's an excuse for a trip to China! nt