Panda Lovin' Leaves DC Zoo Wanting

(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»

(NEWSER) - Giant panda Mei Xiang, whose first cub became an international superstar, is not pregnant, National Zoo officials said today. The panda, who was artificially inseminated in January, experienced her third false pregnancy in as many years, the Washington Post reports. Four-year-old Tai Shan, Mei Xiang's only cub to survive infancy, is scheduled to be handed over to the Chinese government later this year. More»

(NEWSER) - The National Zoo’s female giant panda may be pregnant, the Washington Post reports. Volunteers are monitoring Mei Xiang around the clock after zookeepers noticed behavioral changes that indicate the mom to celebu-panda Tai Shan is expecting, including creating a bamboo den in a dark and quiet place, and cradling food and other objects. Mei Xiang was artificially inseminated in January; if she is pregnant, the cub should come within 3 weeks. More»

Own harvest has failed; may not have enough to get through winter

(NEWSER) - The National Zoo is appealing for donations from landowners in the Washington area who may have stands of green crunchy bamboo stalks, reports the Washington Post. The zoo's own harvest of bamboo has failed and with the zoo's giant pandas, red pandas, elephants and gorillas eating 75,000 pounds of the stuff, administrators are running alarmingly low of the vital nourishment. More»

Chinese car company will pay $150K for DC treasure

(NEWSER) - Giant panda Tai Shan arrived in China today after nearly 5 years in Washington, DC, and found a nice surprise waiting for him: a corporate sponsorship. Sichuan Auto Industry Group will pay $150,000 for a lifelong claim to Tai Shan, along with $90,000 annually for his food and medical costs. The native of the National Zoo will be living at the Bifengxia Panda Base, a facility run by the Chinese government. More»