Media Advisory: Giant Pandas Celebrate Panda Palooza Beginning September 23

WHAT:         

Presentation of panda-friendly fruitsicle cakes to beloved giant pandas Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and Xiao Qi Ji in celebration of Panda Palooza: A Giant Farewell event.

WHEN:         

Saturday, Sept. 23

7 a.m.: Registered media in cars with confirmed parking spots can access the Zoo from the Connecticut Avenue vehicle entrance.

7:30 a.m.: Zoo staff will be available for interviews.  

9 a.m.: Giant pandas will access their outdoor habitats and receive cake.

9:30 a.m.:  Media event concludes.   

NOTE:  RSVP to ZooSCBIcommunications@si.edu by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20. Media credentials required for admittance.

WHERE:      

David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat
Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
3001 Connecticut Ave. N.W.
(Note: Media credentials are required to cover the celebration. Media parking in Lot B. Media must RSVP by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20. Space will not be reserved for media separately from the visitors.)    

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute will celebrate its three giant pandas before the bears depart for China later this year. Visitors are invited to attend Panda Palooza, sponsored by The Boeing Company and entertainment by Events DC. This onsite and online series of events honors 25-year-old Mei Xiang (may-SHONG), 26-year-old Tian Tian (tee-YEN tee-YEN) and their 3-year-old son Xiao Qi Ji (SHIAU-chi-ji) from Sept. 23 to Oct. 1. All three bears will leave the Zoo by early December.

Zoo staff will be available for interviews between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. The Zoo opens to visitors with free passes at 8 a.m. At 9 a.m., keepers will present the pandas with fruitsicle cakes.  

RSVP:

All media must RSVP by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20. Register by providing name, outlet, email, phone and parking request to ZooSCBIcommunications@si.edu. Media must be on the RSVP list to enter the Zoo. Due to limited capacity, media attendance will be strictly limited to two persons and one vehicle per outlet. Media are encouraged to take ride share or public transportation to the Zoo.

LIVE SHOTS:

No satellite trucks can be accommodated on-site. Any media planning on live shots must use satellite packs. Media interested in live shots should preregister and confirm with Annalisa Meyer at meyeran@si.edu or (202) 904-8724. Prior to 7 a.m., media may conduct live shots outside the Zoo’s Connecticut Avenue pedestrian entrance.

CREDENTIALS:

Wear visible media credentials while on-site at the Zoo.

MEDIA RESOURCES

Giant Panda Program
For comprehensive resources on the Zoo’s giant panda breeding and conservation program, visit the Zoo’s website.

Giant Panda Cam

Fans can stay connected to giant pandas Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and Xiao Qi Ji via the Giant Panda Cam, sponsored by The Boeing Company. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute does not grant permission for any of the Zoo’s webcams to be streamed live on non-Smithsonian sites. The Giant Panda Cam is copywritten to the Smithsonian Institution and does not fall under the Smithsonian’s Open Access policy. Media who wish to share the Giant Panda Cam may direct their audiences to the Zoo’s website and must credit the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. Videos from the Giant Panda Cam in the Zoo’s newsroom or YouTube channel may be shared by media, always with credit to Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

Entry Requirements
Information on entry requirements is available on the Zoo’s website. Admission to the Zoo is free, but entry passes are required for all guests, including infants. Passes open on a rolling basis and can be reserved up to 30 days in advance. More passes are released one week out and one day out. Same-day passes are also available.

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