Foreign and Military Affairs
Washingtonians express pride, hope for departing Chinese panda cub
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-12-05 11:13
HIGH HOPES
The zoo and the city has high hopes for Tai Shan, said Stevens.
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 Giant Panda bear Tai Shan, 4, is pictured in his enclosure at the National Zoo in Washington, December 4, 2009. Under an agreement with China's government Tai Shan, the first surviving Giant Panda cub born at the zoo in 2005, will relocate permanently to Sichuan, China in early 2010 to begin his participation in a breeding program. [Agencies] |
This cub is now a "young healthy male on panda's terms" and will contribute to the conservation of the giant panda species, she said.
In fact, since its birth, the zoo has been preparing for the cub's departure.
"We provide him with an environment of changes and options and he is no stranger to travel. He is fully prepared for living in China," she said, adding the panda cub is "very confident and has shown great flexibility to adapt to new environment."
Tai Shan will be sent to Bi Feng Xia Panda Base in Ya'an, Sichuan Province of China.
Before its departure, it will be trained to enter and calmly remain in a specially designed crate for its flight to China, with souvenirs he took from the United States.
Wang Baodong, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, thanked the American public for their dedication and love for the Chinese panda cub, and assured them that Tai Shan will be taken good care of in China.
He invited panda fans to visit Tai Shan in China in the future and said the Chinese side will be in close contact with the United States on the cub's well-being.
