Tai Shan eats an apple in his enclosure in the National Zoo in Northwest Washington, D.C., Friday, December 4, 2009. The first surviving giant panda cub born at the National Zoo (to mother Mei Xiang and father Tian Tian in 2005) will be sent to the People's Republic of China in early 2010, in accordance with an agreement between the zoo and China. All three pandas belong to China, and Tai Shan's parents are also due to be returned to the country next year. UPDATED:
The Smithsonian's National Zoo is returning beloved giant panda Tai Shan to China.
Zoo officials said Friday that Tai Shan will go in January or February for breeding.
The cuddly, black-and-white panda was born at the Washington zoo July 9, 2005, and was supposed to go to China after two years, according to an original agreement. The Chinese government granted some extensions but they will soon expire, zoo spokeswoman Dorothy Black said Friday.
Zoo officials have scheduled a news conference for 10 a.m. EST to provide more details.
Tai Shan's birth was international news, and the cub instantly became one of the zoo's most popular attractions, drawing millions of visitors. Millions more watched him on a zoo Web cam -- eating bamboo shoots, climbing trees or just napping in the sun.
The cub was fondly named "butter stick" by many of his adoring fans because at birth he was no bigger than a stick of butter. His birthday parties continue to be a popular attraction at the zoo.
His parents -- mother Mei Xiang and father Tian Tian -- are on a 10-year, $10 million loan to the zoo until 2010.
Three other U.S. zoos also have giant pandas -- Atlanta, Memphis and in San Diego, Atlanta and Memphis.
Joseph Weber is a congressional reporter, his first job upon coming to Washington in 1992. Mr. Weber joined The Washington Times in 2002 as a metro desk editor and ran the section for several years, working on such stories as the Virginia Tech massacre, the Supreme Court case on the District's handgun law, the D.C. snipers and the 2008 presidential ...
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