Giant pandas to arrive in Washington in December

The late panda stars of the National Zoo, Hsing-Hsing and Ling-ling. Ling-ling died in 1992 and Hsing-Hsing was ethanized in 1999 due to kidney disease

November 21, 2000
Web posted at: 3:55 PM EST (2055 GMT)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The U.S. National Zoo will finally get two endangered giant pandas next month from China, replacing a beloved pair given by Beijing to the United States nearly 30 years ago, the zoo announced on Tuesday.

The zoo's new "first couple," with a price tag of $10 million, are 2 1/2 year old female Mei Xiang (pronounced May-SHONG), meaning "beautiful fragrance," and 3 1/2 year-old male Tian Tian (pronounced tee-YEN tee-YEN), which means "more and more."

They are due to arrive on Dec. 6 in custom-made containers via "Panda One," a specially fitted plane donated by carrier Fedex that graces a picture of the pandas on its side.

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"We are thrilled to bring a pair of giant pandas back to the National Zoo," zoo director Lucy Spelman told a news conference to announce the bears' arrival.

The first pair of giant pandas were sent in 1972 during the Nixon administration on a diplomatic mission to symbolize improved relations between Beijing and Washington. The new couple will be here as envoys for conservation.

"Tian Tian and Mei Xiang are young and full of energy and they are incredible creatures but it is important to remember that both were born in a breeding facility in China and that their wild counterparts remain highly endangered," said Spelman, who unveiled portraits of the pair.

Scientists estimate that only about 1,000 pandas remain in the mountain forests of central China. Breeding facilities and zoos in China have about 120 of the giant bears and there are a further 20 living in zoos outside of China.

Under a 10-year loan agreement, the zoo has agreed to pay $10 million to China for the couple, which has been living in a reserve in Western China. At the end of the 10 year period, the zoo hopes to negotiate an extension of the loan. Any offspring will belong to China.

Under the agreement with Beijing, a string of research and conservation projects will begin the moment the bears arrive in the United States, focusing initially on three relatively undeveloped giant panda reserves in China.

National Zoo went into mourning when its last beloved panda Hsing-Hsing, suffering from terminal kidney disease, was euthanized last year. Companion Ling-ling had died in 1992.

U.S. corporate sponsors lined up to cover the $10 million fee for the new pandas, who are expected to become multi-media stars from the moment they arrive, with a dedicated web page and four one-hour television specials planned.

Expected easily to be the zoo's star attraction, the new pandas are likely to boost visitors from the more than 3 million people a year who go there now.

"We know from 28 years of experience with giant pandas at the national zoo that they are real crowd pleasers," said Smithsonian Secretary Lawrence Small. "There's just something about these black and white bears that fascinates children and adults," he said.

Currently the word "closed" is pasted across signs to the panda area at the zoo and Small said he was looking forward to replacing this with "no vacancy" when the pandas arrive.

A new enclosure is planned using funds from lead sponsor Fujifilm, but the current one has undergone a $1.8 million renovation, vastly improving the previous living quarters.

The renovated building has three separate but connected indoor enclosures decorated with hand-painted murals of the central mountain ranges of China. There are rocks and pools for them to play in and two large outdoor areas with trees and rocks for climbing.

The highlight of the outdoor area is a pair of cave-like enclosures that are air-conditioned so that the cold-loving bears will have somewhere to seek refuge during the searing summer season in Washington.

The pandas will be put into quarantine for 30 days to enable them to adapt to their new environment and Spelman expected their first public viewing in early January, 2001.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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