WASHINGTON — A young giant panda who became a major attraction after his birth at Washington’s National Zoo will leave for China early next year for breeding.
Zoo officials said Friday that Tai Shan will leave the Smithsonian Institution park in January or February. Mother Mei Xiang and father Tian Tian are on a 10-year, $10 million loan until December 2010.
Under the Smithsonian’s panda-loan agreement, any cub born at the zoo must be returned to China for breeding. Tai Shan was born in 2005 and was granted a two-year extension in 2007.
Panda fans gathered at the zoo when they heard the news. Many had visited weekly to watch Tai Shan grow from the size of a butter stick to nearly 200 pounds over four years.
“He’s magical,” said Elise Ney, 49, an audiologist from Bethesda, Md. “He looks at you with those beautiful eyes that just captivate you.”
Wang Baodong, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy, said he has often visited the zoo with his 4-year-old son to see Tai Shan. “It’s not an easy thing for the Chinese side,” he said. “Parting is a sad thing.”
