Several media outlets in Washington, D.C. are reporting that the Smithsonian National Zoo’s giant panda Tai Shan and Zoo Atlanta’s giant panda Mei Lan will be travelling together to China on February 4, 2010. Officials at Zoo Atlanta are planning a joint announcement with the Smithsonian National Zoo later this week after numerous logistical details are finalized.
Update: Tai Shan will be leaving the National Zoo for China on February 4. He’ll head to Dulles International Airport in the morning and fly directly to Chengdu, China, with a keeper and veterinarian from our zoo. He won’t be the only giant panda onboard the “FedEx Panda Express.” Mei Lan, the three-year-old female panda born at Zoo Atlanta, will be making the trip too.
