Happy First Birthday, Mei Lan!

Quan Quan, mother of 7, inhaled chlorine and carbon monoxide

(NEWSER) - The death of one of China's most beloved panda bears has been blamed on poison gas resulting from a careless cleaning operation at the Jinan Zoo, the LA TImes reports. Quan Quan, a 21-year-old panda who'd given birth to 7 cubs, inhaled carbon monoxide and chlorine, both of which were used when a former air raid shelter was being disinfected. More»

Washington's Tai Shan and Atlanta's Mei Lan moving to China to breed

(NEWSER) - Washington will bid its favorite panda adieu on Feb. 4, when Tai Shan leaves for China to breed, accompanied by Zoo Atlanta's Mei Lan. “It's like sending off your own child to college,” Tai Shan's fan club founder tells the Post , adding that fan club members have raised $10,000 to “adopt” Tai Shan, born at the National Zoo four years ago, and in return, “They'll send us updates and photographs.” His farewell party is Saturday, with Feb. 3 his last day on view at the zoo. More»

(NEWSER) - Tai Shan, the giant panda who captivated the world as a cub, turned 4 today and celebrated with a huge birthday cake only an animal could love. The three-tiered concoction was a frozen medley of water, beet juice, shredded beets, and bamboo, WTOP reports. Tai Shan, who is now considered a teenager in "bear years," is scheduled to head to China in 2010 under the terms of the breeding program that brought his parents, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, to the US from their native land. More»

Zoo staff reminds countrymen that elephants, too, need love

(NEWSER) - A $20 million house for a newborn female panda and family at a Thailand zoo has rankled the staff of Ayutthaya Elephant Kraal, who are sick of the nation's panda obsession, reports the Bangkok Post. Concerned that the panda craze has diverted resources from Thailand’s national symbol, they've painted five elephants to resemble pandas. More»

(NEWSER) - Red panda mom Shan Tou has surprised zoo keepers in Fargo, ND, by giving birth to triplets, InForum reports. “This is huge," a Red River Zoo executive said. Red pandas, an endangered species, often have one or two cubs, but triplets are rare. "It’s been 10 years since the last triplets have been born in the Western Hemisphere,” said the zoo's main panda keeper. More»