Saying Goodbye to Washington's Panda

(Jan. 29) – One of the few figures in Washington who is beloved by Democrats and Republicans alike is saying goodbye to our nation's capital – and heading to the mountains of China.

A bon voyage bash will be held at the National Zoo on Saturday in honor of Tai Shan, the giant panda who became a D.C. treasure after his birth four years ago. Though Tai Shan was born at the zoo, on Feb. 4 he will move to a Chinese panda preserve as part of the agreement that brought his parents, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, from China to the United States 10 years ago.

His departure is emotional for the city that watched him grow up. Tai Shan is the only panda born at the National Zoo to survive more than a few days. The Smithsonian Institution, which runs the National Zoo, called his going-away "bittersweet."

For devoted fans nicknamed the "pandarazzi," it's heartbreak. They watched him via the zoo's panda Webcam, clamored for tickets to his public debut (some paying up to $500) and made him a YouTube sensation with the irresistibly cute "Sneezing Panda" video. Now, many of the same Tai Shan fans who attended his first birthday bash in 2006 are returning for his farewell party.

"He is like part of my family and his departure will be really tough for us," Elise Ney, a fan in Washington, told China Daily. "We cannot imagine life without him."

Frances Nguyen, founder of the local Tai Shan fan club, Pandas Unlimited, told the Washington Post her group is preparing to say goodbye.

"There has been a lot of emotion. It's like sending off your own child to college," she said. "A lot of us never thought he would leave."

For the sake of the endangered panda population, Tai Shan must leave. At age 4, he is an adolescent and old enough to help breed a new generation, which is exactly what keepers hope he will do at Bifengxia Panda Base in China's southwest Sichuan province.

But first, Tai Shan will be feted with a farewell party fit for a VIP, as in Very Important Panda. Saturday's celebration at the National Zoo will include talks with Tai Shan's caretakers, a photo exhibit of his life, Chinese-themed entertainment and a "celebratory cake" for the 184-pound guest of honor, according to the Friends of the National Zoo.

Fans will also be able to make "memory cards" for Tai Shan to take with him on his meticulously planned, 8,642-mile flight to China aboard a special "Panda Express" FedEx 777F air freighter. Tai Shan and a 3-year-old female panda, Mei Lan, from the Atlanta Zoo, will make the 14.5-hour journey in a mostly empty plane, complete with custom-made enclosures and 50 pounds of his favorite food – including bamboo, apples and pears. The plane will be unmissable thanks to black-and-white panda logos emblazoned on the fuselage.

"There will be no mistake about the precious cargo," John G. Dunavant, a FedEx vice president, told the Post.

Tai Shan's last public viewing will be Feb. 3, ahead of his departure the next day. Once he's gone, fans hope a new cub will fill the void. Tai Shan's parents mated earlier this month; a "pregnancy watch" is under way.