Panda Lead Corporate Sponsor:
Purchase Panda Cam, a book with images of Tai Shan's first seven months, at the National Zoo Store.
News from the Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat
Sign up to get panda news from the Zoo.
December 4
Tai Shan will be sent to the People’s Republic of China in early 2010, as stipulated in the agreement between the Zoo and the Chinese government. The exact date of his departure has not been determined due to the lengthy process of finalizing permits and preparing Tai Shan for the trip.
Under the agreement, giant panda cubs born at the National Zoo belong to China and are to be sent to the Wolong's Beifengxia Base in Ya'an, Sichuan sometime after the cub turns two. In April 2007, shortly before his second birthday, China granted the National Zoo a two-year extension for Tai Shan to remain in Washington, D.C.; that extension expired in July but the Zoo was provided a second extension to January 2010.
Tai Shan will be trained to enter and calmly remain in a specially designed crate for his flight to China. Logistics and details for his safe transport are being finalized. It is expected that Tai Shan will enter the breeding program in China, where he will contribute to species conservation.
Mei Xiang and Tian Tian also belong to China and are on a ten-year loan as part of a research, conservation and breeding program. This agreement expires in December 2010. National Zoo and Chinese officials will not begin negotiations about their future until spring 2010.
Since his public debut in December 2005, Tai Shan has delighted millions of visitors who have come to the Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat at the Zoo to see him. He also has touched fans from around the world through the Zoo’s giant panda web cam, which has drawn millions of visitors annually since his birth.
“Tai Shan leaving Washington is terribly sad for the Zoo, the community, and his fans around the world,” said acting National Zoo Director Steve Monfort. “He has become so special to the staff and the public—and we have learned so much from him in just four short years. By providing a two-year extension, our Chinese partner, the China Wildlife Conservation Association, allowed us the chance to learn more about giant pandas by charting his growth and development. It’s hard to say goodbye, but we are so thankful for the many memories and huge opportunities Tai has provided to the National Zoo.”
The details for farewell activities aren't set yet, so please check back to find out them.
We have anticipated many questions on the minds of Tai's fans. 
Get your questions answered.
National Zoo Giant Panda Stamp Available!
The Zoo is proud to introduce seven new customized stamps celebrating and supporting conservation programs at the Zoo. One stamp features Tai Shan! You can buy Zoo stamps online or at the Zoo.
Adopt a Giant Panda for the Holidays
This holiday season, we're offering a special adopt a giant panda package. When you adopt at the $65 level or above, we'll send an adorable panda plush, a photo of our pandas playing in the snow, a certificate, a pewter-finished seasonal charm, and more. This fantastic package will be shipped for FREE in a cute "animal carrier" box.Get Tai Shan Wallpaper When You Donate
Support the National Zoo's panda conservation efforts, and get lots of Tai Shan wallpaper and a screen saver as thanks for your donation to the Giant Panda Conservation Fund.Share Your Panda Photos!
Have you been to the Zoo and taken photos of our pandas? Enter the Fujifilm Panda Photo Sharing Sweepstakes—your photo could be posted on our website, and you could win a great prize. There will be one more drawing, so submit your photos by the end of the year!Check out the latest gallery of photos taken by panda enthusiasts.
|
Due to a lot of visitors to this page, you may be unable to watch camera one. If you are unable to connect, try camera two. Today we are limiting sessions to five minutes to allow more people to view the cam. If you are unable to connect, try the other cam or try again later. |
Panda Photo Gallery | 
Help with cam
Watching giant pandas: The panda cams provide a window into the world of the Zoo's giant pandas—four-year-old Tai Shan, his mother, Mei Xiang, and his father, Tian Tian. There are only about 1,600 giant pandas living in the wild in China.
Giant Panda Facts | 
Get Tai Shan Wallpaper When You Help Us Protect Giant Pandas | 
Adopt a Giant Panda | Sign up to Get Panda News
More Giant Panda cams
Camera II
Giant Panda videos
Tai Shan Exam, September 19, 2005 | Mei Xiang and Tai Shan, October 2, 2005 | Tai Shan Exam, October 31, 2005 | Mei and Tai, November 10, 2005 | Tai Shan’s First Year (Highlights)
November 12
Summer is over and daylight saving time has started. After the initial shock of the keepers arriving an hour late, the pandas have adjusted to the new time.
November is the month that our pandas usually become more active again. They shed their summer lethargy and begin to increase their activity and appetite. From June to November, Tian Tian and Mei Xiang usually lose ten percent of their body weight, while Tai Shan loses 20 percent, leaving him looking long in the leg and lanky. Based on past physicals we know that he is in good health during this seasonal slump. This year, Tai has been given medication to prevent any irritation to his digestive system, which occurred during his down time last year. Tai is eating his produce and consuming more biscuits. Over the past month, he has also enjoyed chewing on mulberry branches, interacting with them for long periods of time.
Tian Tian and Mei Xiang, while housed together each morning, are still are choosing to nap rather than interact, this will change as the temperatures drop into their winter pattern. All the pandas will begin to dramatically increase their bamboo consumption. It is amazing once our pandas start to enter their winter pattern how quickly they gain weight again. It still is hard to believe that any animal—and especially a bear—could thrive on bamboo and actually gain weight from it.
Giant pandas are black and white bears that live in temperate-zone bamboo forests in central China. Among the best recognized—but rarest—animals in the world, they have come to symbolize endangered species and conservation efforts. As few as 1,600 giant pandas survive in the mountain forests of central China. More than 160 pandas live in zoos and breeding centers around the world; most of these pandas are in China.
Giant pandas Mei Xiang and Tian Tian are at the National Zoo on a ten-year loan from the China Wildlife Conservation Association. They are the focus of an ambitious research, conservation, and breeding program designed to preserve this endangered species.
