Tai Shan, a giant panda born in the US, is to be sent to China. The panda, one of the biggest stars at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington DC, was born in July 2005 to parents on loan from China, and millions travelled to the zoo to see him.
Over the years, fans followed Tai Shan’s growth on a“panda cam” on the zoo’s website.
The move to China is reportedly part of an agreement with Beijing. Adrian Fenty, Mayor of Washington, once called Tai Shan the city’s most important citizen, and the zoo recently announced that Tai Shan will even appear on a postage stamp.
Tai Shan’s parents, a 10-year-old female named Mei Xiang and an 11-year-old male named Tian Tian, are at the zoo under loan agreement and as part of a research, conservation and breeding program.
The two are scheduled to go back to China in 2010.